Bellinis and Brunch at Vita

Guess where I'll be tomorrow morning? I'm not sleeping in, I won't be at the gym and I'm definitely not going to be at work... Nope, I'm happy to say I'll be sacrificing a late morning in bed to test out Vita's new brunch menu. The casual, New York-style Italian eatery is kicking off their Bellini Brunch this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

With choices of French toast, omelets and frittatas (all $12 - definitely one of the most affordable brunches in the city) I'm not sure I'll be able to make up my mind what to try on my first visit. Currently, I'm leaning towards the chicken frittata with pulled chicken, pancetta and mozzarella cheese, but get a few Bellinis in me and who knows what I'll pick...

Speaking of Bellinis, have you ever tried to make a Bellini at home? For those who haven't, it is terribly easy (and delicious). Simply peel and puree a fresh, very ripe then pour into a and top with

As a side note, I recently tried a shockingly good sparkling wine made in New Mexico that I found at Whole Foods. Turns out apparently New Mexico's climate is ideal for sparkling wine production. Who knew?!

Check Out the Updated Blogroll!

It seems like everyday we find a cool, interesting blog and we want you to know about them, too. Look to your left and read over our delicious Atlanta blogroll. These are the blogs we love to read at Atlanta Dish. We are always updating the list so be sure and check it out regularly.

Atlanta Dish is listed on the food and wine blog list at Local Wine Events. This is a great resource for finding culinary events in and around your city. Follow this link to give Atlanta Dish your vote. The more votes we get, the higher we climb on the list. Move us on up! Keep an eye out for our friends on the blogroll to the left when you are there. I'm sure they would appreciate your vote as much as we do!

Thursday's "Sunset Sippers" Mix Wine and Mountain Sunsets at Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery in Dahlonega

Each mile out 400 loosens the tension, and before you know it,
you’re at ease, sipping syrah and watching the sunset over
the Southern Appalachians at Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery, five miles north of historic Dahlonega. “Sunset Sippers” on Thursday evenings through October offer ideal opportunities to enjoy a glass (or bottle!) of these hand-crafted, European-style wines, complimentary artisan cheese plates and mesmerizing mountain sunsets. The Boegner family’s European-style winery on the 1,800-foot high Dahlonega Plateau welcomes you, whether it’s for wine, weddings, Sunday brunch, a café lunch or a gourmet dinner.
Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery is located at 180 Wolf Mountain Trail in Dahlonega, Georgia; 706-867-9862.

Will Earning A Guinness World Record Be Hard Cheese?

Will Whole Foods Market cheesemongers make more than one wise crack when they “crack” open hundreds of wheels of 24-month-aged, hand-selected Parmigiano Reggiano at 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Saturday, April 12? Wielding the five knives from Italy’s Consorzio del Formaggio Parmigiano Reggiano that comprise the traditional cheese-cracking tool set, a cheese pro at each of the 270 stores will simultaneously break into an 85-lb. wheel of artisan Parmigiano Reggiano in a carving and portioning procedure that eats up about a half hour.

Let’s hope for “grate” news that Whole Foods Markets will take over The Guinness World Record™ for “Most Parmigiano Reggiano Wheels Ever Cracked” at the same time. Atlanta-area stores will be handing out recipes that highlight Parmigiano Reggiano’s subtle bite and sweet nuttiness during the cracking event. Buy some wines to go-with: Italian wines are on sale throughout April!

True Parmigiano Reggiano hails from just one region of northern Italy that includes Reggio Emilia, Parma, Modena and portions of Bologna and Mantua. A seal of authenticity marks each wheel. The cherished cheese is a testimony to the area’s culinary history, having been made and aged by artisans in the same way for almost 800 years! No wonder Whole Foods Market cheese buyers look forward to their purchasing trip . . . and we relish the results!

Buckhead: 77 West Paces Ferry Road, NW; 404-324-4100
Briarcliff: 2111 Briarcliff Road; 404-634-7800
Duluth-Johns Creek: 5945 State Bridge Road; 678-514-2400
Sandy Springs: 5930 Roswell Road; 404-236-0810
Ponce: 650 Ponce de Leon Avenue, NE; 404-853-1681
Harry’s Farmers Market in Alpharetta: 1180 Upper Hembree Road; 770-664-6300
Harry’s Farmers Market in Marietta: 70 Powers Ferry Road, SE; 770-578-4400

La Tavola Trattoria Chef Craig Richards Uses the Power of Cauliflower as His Sunday Paper "Key Ingredient"

Show of hands: How many of you avoided the cauliflower on the veggie tray because it just looked so boring and it has, you know, that bitter bite that requires gobs of dip to disguise? La Tavola Trattoria Chef Craig Richards once felt that way, too…until he started thinking in Italian. Caramelized and roasted with garlic, tossed with grilled squid and cannellini beans, parleying with pasta, pureed and folded into risotto – Richards discovered this seasonless super vegetable is no mild-mannered mouthful, and it adds a super nutrition punch wherever it goes on the menu. Read more about Richards’ love affair with the fair flower in “Key Ingredients,” inside the April 6 edition of The Sunday Paper. Rutabagas, you could be next! Fifth Group Restaurants’® cozy Italian trattoria is located in Virginia-Highlands at 992 Virginia Avenue; 404-873-5430.