It’s Follow Friday; Meet Our Tweep of the Week @cakespy

When it comes to sweets, our office is always looking out for fellow baking minded enthusiasts! Our tweep of the week for this week is Cake Spy Jessie Oleson Moore (@cakespy), a freelance writer and illustrator who tracks down bakeries, conducts baking experiments, interrogates bakers and food artists and shares her finds. 

Be sweet and also drop by her website at www.cakespy.com!

Sample Tweet: Another day, another Lord of the Rings themed cupcake painting commission… http://www.cakespy.com/blog/2013/1/2/sweet-art-cupcakes-at-rivendell.html  

What's New on Pinterest: Savory Soups

Fire up the stove or plug in the Crock-Pot, soup's on to warm the winter-weary. Who would guess these comforting stews and soups also are healthy? Perfect for weeknight suppers and casual entertaining, they can also transform an ordinary game night into a truly satisfying "bowl" game for the whole family. When you peruse our Pinterest picks, please use a spoon.

Appetizing Aperture: Bantam + Biddy's Southern Cobb Salad

Photo by Angie Mosier

With 2013 in full swing, did you make a resolution to eat healthy and help your community? If so, Bantam + Biddy can help you knock out both of those on Monday nights. Every Monday beginning at 5 p.m., the Ansley Mall eatery donates 10 percent of the day's remaining profits to a different local charity. On January 14, Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the beneficiary, so don't miss out on good food for a great cause!

Celebrate Marlow’s Tavern-Emory Point Grand Opening

We can’t wait to celebrate the opening of the newest location of Marlow's Tavern, at Emory Point in Decatur. They’re hosting seven days of grand opening dining deals and special events beginning Monday, January 21. Open since December 18, the neighborhood tavern is eager to welcome its Emory-area friends with grand opening festivities. From January 21-27, guests who sign up for Marlow's Tavern Insiders Club (online or at the restaurant) will automatically be registered to win free dinner every week for a year.  Here’s the breakdown:

January 21: Insider Day
All Marlow's Tavern Insiders will receive 20 percent off their checks, and the first 100 guests will receive free t-shirts.

January 22: Tavern Burger Tuesday
Marlow's is offering its famous Tavern Burger seasoned with tomato bacon jam for $5 all day long.

January 23: Ladies Night,
From 5 p.m. until close $5 appetizers and drink deals for the gals and goodie bags for the first 100 ladies will be offered.

January 24: Emory Day
Emory faculty and students showing their Emory ID receive a 20 percent discount. The official ribbon-cutting ceremony is at 10 a.m. followed by a check presentation to Special Olympics Georgia at 11:30 a.m.

January 25: Friday Specials
From 4-6 p.m., Marlow's is offering $5 appetizer specials and drink specials including $3 drafts, $4 glasses of select wines and $4 premium well cocktails. Live music cranks at 9 p.m.

January 26: Shot Glass Saturday
The first 500 guests after 5 p.m. receive a complimentary M. shot glass, and live music starts at 10 p.m.

January 27: $7 Sunday
Brunch favorites await guests and include $7 selections such as crab cakes Benedict, Brooklyn "Egghead" sandwich and Marlow's famous stuffed French toast. Psst. BLT Bloody Marys and bottomless mimosas are $7 drink specials.

Looking for Emory Point? Find it at 1627 Clifton Road in Decatur; 404-343-3283.

Time to Revisit Gilbert's Cafe & Bar

"New year, new you" is such the January expression, but in the case of Gilbert's Café & Bar in Midtown, it's true for 2013. The Communitas Hospitality restaurant has been an Atlanta fave since opening in 2000. Even so, Communitas Owners Sean and Gilbert Yeremyan are always open to ways to better serve their guests. The two gents have brought in Executive Chef Brett Ring, also chef at HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern and 10th & Piedmont, to update and broaden the Mediterranean-focused menu for a full night-on-the-town dining experience. New meze items for sharing include diver scallops with haricot vert, crisp applewood smoked bacon, caramelized onion and citrus champagne; lemon avocado hummus with black sesame and smoked coconut; skate wing with artichoke, capers and lemon brown butter; and lamb shank börek with spinach and feta ($8-$12). For seafood lovers, Ring has seafood paella with mussels, shrimp, calamari, chicken, peas and haricot vert ($16 for one person; $30 for two) and almond-crusted tilapia with sautéed spinach and Parmesan risotto ($14). Other entrées include bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin with spinach ginger risotto and sweet Thai chili jus ($16); lamb shank with chickpea polenta, cherry tomato confit, Swiss chard and corn bread gremolata ($18); and the popular chicken kebab now composed of dark meat on a large skewer for a more exciting presentation. Ring, a Georgia native, nods to his Southern heritage through seasonally inspired plates and smoked foods such as smoked coconut atop lemon avocado hummus.

Check Out a New Year of New Restaurants, Menus, Demos and More

Start the new year off right by trying something new! Stop by Gilbert's Cafe & Bar to taste a bite from the revamped menu, or be inspired by Brian Stanger, Woodfire Grill's bar manager, and concoct your own season-appropriate grapefruit cocktail. There are plenty of new things to experience and more in this week's Dish!

Gerry Klaskala and All-Clad Cookware Teach How to "Cook Like a Professional" at AmericasMart

 

A big draw downtown this week is The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market, January 9-16 at AmericasMart. While retail store buyers seek new finds and plan their inventories, they will also find informative talks and demonstrations led by industry experts. Aria Chef/Owner Gerry Klaskala is one of these experts, and will link up with All-Clad cookware, for a demo on Thursday, January 10 from 1-2 p.m. Award-winning Klaskala will focus on how to "Cook Like a Professional", teaching techniques of searing, braising and deglazing. Home cooks can perfect their skills using the same All-Clad cookware found in four-star restaurant kitchens around the world. Time to get cooking! 

Appetizing Aperture: RA Sushi's New Skinny Pairing

Trying to get back into those skinny jeans after all that holiday indulging? We can relate! Good thing RA Sushi Bar Restaurant's new tempting Skinny Pairing is around. 

This hitokuchi sashimi and shrimp plate lines up 14 bite-sized pieces of fresh tuna, yellowtail and salmon sashimi plus shrimp and microgreens -- and is less than 200 calories. Pair it with your choice of three under-160-calorie cocktails -- the Colada-teenie, Blueberry Fizz and Skinny Cucumberita. A complete 360 calories for $18, through February 28!

$1 Ribs at Buckhead Barbecue Company on Jan. 7 & 8 Won't Break the Piggy Bank

 

 As many of us are trying to curb spending habits after the holidays, taking advantage of restaurant deals and specials is always a good idea. Luckily, Buckhead Barbecue Co in Smyrna is making your dollar go even further by offering single spare ribs and baby back ribs for $1 each on Monday, January 7 and Tuesday, January 8 starting at 5 p.m. The offer is valid for dine-in only with a six rib limit per guest. To round out the meal, try a cup of Brunswick stew, mac 'n three cheese or sweet potato tots ($2.50 each). 

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

So you say you like baking? Well then, we have the tweep (@Bakerella) for all your dessert and decorating needs. You can find posts about cake pops, fondants, sugar cookies and other divinities conjured up from sugar, butter, flour and flavorings. Also, visit the sister website Bakerella for more details to achieve a blissful sugar coma.

Sample Tweet: Love the cake pop necklace. Thank you Adonia! http://instagr.am/p/TRi_zep_Xt/

Eat Better. Do Good. Two resolutions in one.

Did you resolve to eat better in 2013? And maybe be a little more generous? Well, here's your chance to do both. Come to  "Dine Out & Give Back" at Bantam + Biddy's charity night on Monday, January 7. After 5 p.m. that night, 10 percent of their proceeds will go to Georgia Organics. The casual eatery in Ansley Mall is adamant that regionally raised, all-natural pastured poultry has a place on the family table. Try favorites like a quarter or half of a rotisserie chicken with two sides and jalapeño cheddar bread, pastured chicken sausage and loaded mashed potatoes, fried chicken tenders with wasabi honey, Lance's chicken pot pie, Southern breakfast all day, fresh vegetable plate, pork schnitzel or meatloaf made with grass-fed beef. Tell your friends!

New Year, New Brews: Catch The New Belgium Beer Dinner at Woodfire Grill on January 10

Did you resolve to try new things and explore new experiences this year? Get started with that resolution this week at Woodfire Grill as the restaurant showcases the brews of New Belgium Brewing Company on Thursday, January 10. 

Enjoy a four-course menu, complemented by five different craft beers from the Fort Collins, Colo.-based brewery, including New Belgium Shift, New Belgium Fat Tire Amber, Snow Day Black IPA, Ranger IPA and Imperial Chocolate Stout. Reception begins at 6 p.m. followed by 6:30 p.m. dinner. $80 per person, not including tax or gratuity. Don’t forget to make your reservation at 404-347-9055. Cheers!

Tweet Your "RA" Solutions to RA Sushi for the Chance to Win a $50 Gift Card

From Tuesday, January 1 through Monday, January 7, RA Sushi Bar Restaurant is offering up $50 gift cards to five people who tweet at them with their new year's resolution. All you have to do is tag RA Sushi (@RAsushi) along with your "RA"solution to win! Good luck!

Toss the Kids a Pizza-Making Party at Ammazza and More in this Week's Dish

2013 is finally here with lots of delicious and healthy dining options! Did you resolve to explore more of Atlanta's dining scene? Atlanta restaurants have something to offer everyone, plus way more in this week's Dish!

Too Sweet To Miss: Taria Camerino “Sweet Genius” Viewing Party at JCT. Kitchen & Bar on January 3

 

When it comes to “sweet geniuses” around town, Taria Camerino is one of our favorites! This Thursday, January 3 at 9 p.m., head to the upstairs bar at JCT. Kitchen & Bar (or stay if you’re already there) to watch Taria on Food Network “Sweet Genius” during a special viewing party! Camerino is the pastry program creative director for JCT. Kitchen & Bar, The Optimist and No. 246 and she’s also the one responsible for those amazing European pastry windows at No. 246. She will surely be whipping up some episode-inspired bites to nibble during the party for the episode that airs at 10 p.m. Even better, JCT. beverage manager, Eduardo Guzman, will be doing the same with cocktails. What a sweet event!

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

 

You can tell from her photo she's full of smiles, stories and serious skills for mixing up beverages behind the bar at new Seven Lamps in the Shops Around Lenox. Atlantan Arianne Fielder (@Ariannebar) dubs herself a Southern Cocktail Resurgen, bourbon and American Whiskey aficionado and a "Big Dog Mom." When not mixing it up behind the bar, Arianne tweets about cocktails and her thoughts on current events. 

Appetizing Aperture: Strawberry and Champagne Cupcakes From Little Cake Bakery

Adult or not, anyone can pop a Little Cake Bakery strawberry and champagne cupcake into his or her mouth when the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve. But then, why wait? 

More good eating in 2013

 

 

Over here at MLA we are working hard on some exciting restaurant happenings in 2013. Kevin Gillespie is opening his new restaurant in March in the Glenwood Park area serving great flavors in an intimate atmosphere. Chef Ford Fry, owner of Westside's  JCT. Kitchen & Bar and The Optimist and Oyster Bar at The Optimist and Decatur's No. 246, will add two Buckhead restaurants to his family when he opens King + Duke in the former Nava space in March and another in the old Bluepointe space later this year.  Bantam + Biddy is increasing its family tree as owners Shaun Doty and Lance Gummere open new Chick-a-biddy at Atlantic Station in April. We also can look forward to more delicious tavern fare with another Marlow's Tavern location (maybe two!) coming this year. Meanwhile, seafood lovers will gain one more sweet spot for succulently prepared fresh fish when Bonefish Grill lands another Atlanta-area restaurant. St. Patrick's Day is always a huge party at Fadó Irish Pub & Restaurant - one that spills out onto the street around the pub like a good flow of green beer. And we're thrilled to announce that South City Kitchen Midtown will celebrate its 20^th anniversary in April. One of us over here, ahem, remembers when Crescent Avenue wasn't a very nice street and no one outside the state thought Southern food was anything special. So there's much to celebrate! We're looking forward to another fun year!
 

Ecco Stays on Top of Conservation Goals with Rooftop Garden and Condensation Irrigation

Sophisticated yet casual Ecco in Midtown has always been ahead of the restaurant industry's conservation efforts. Georgia's first dumpster-free restaurant was also the state's first to receive Green Foodservice Alliance (GFA) certification. The Fifth Group Restaurant continues to grow in sustainability and environmental consciousness by adding eight new cedar beds with "cold frame" structures to its rooftop garden, all of which are covered with Agribon protective material. Farmer D Organics custom-built the beds and also installed a new irrigation system with a 250-gallon food-grade tote capable of containing 195 more gallons than the previous rain barrel. All of the water filling the tote is collected from air conditioning condensation and pumped through drip irrigation into the beds. City water and a timer also kick in when needed for optimal moisture. When dining at Ecco be sure to ask what's in season on the roof. Right now, Tuscan kale, broccoli rabe and Southern giant curly mustard are growing for the restaurant's seasonally inspired menu.

Happy Holidays from Melissa Libby & Associates: A Look Back at 2012