Live Music Makes Me Happy

Having live music at a restaurant is kinda like having chocolate sauce on your ice cream. Not a necessity, but it sure does make it better. I have really enjoyed some good music this spring, including a recent spur-of-the-moment trip to the 40 Watt Club in Athens. Something about this time of year makes me want to listen, sing and, yes, dance. Here's a quick run-down of some good places to catch some tunes and add a little something extra to your night!

• Salsa, Latin jazz and acoustic guitar rotate through the week -- seven days a week -- at Eclipse di Luna - Miami Circle.


• JCT. Kitchen & Bar takes it to the terrace for live music from 6 – 9 p.m. every Thursday and in the bar on Friday and Saturday nights beginning at 8 p.m.


• Marlow’s Tavern makes music all over town with live music everywhere except Midtown.


• At Marlow’s in Alpharetta, John Oswald plays Thursday nights from 8 – 11 p.m.


• In Marlow's Duluth, Andrew Black takes on Friday nights from 10 p.m. until 1 a.m., and Andy Birdsall entertains Saturdays from 9 p.m. until midnight.


• Local acoustic favorites are popular Thursday and Friday nights from 8 – 11 p.m. at Marlow’s Tavern Northlake.


• There’s a full musical agenda at Marlow’s in Vinings: Under the Porch plays Tuesday nights from 8 – 11:30 p.m.; Andy Birdsall and Dave Onorato take over Wednesdays from 8:30 p.m. – 1 a.m.; Eric Hinton and Troy Rushing perform Thursdays from 8:30 p.m. – 1 a.m.; Nelson Brownstone plays Fridays from 9 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.; Jason Fulton and Troy Rushing cover Saturdays from 9 p.m. – 1:30 a.m.; and Galen Crader finishes the week on Sundays from 8 – 11 p.m.


• Up in Kennesaw, Marlow’s Tavern has live music Fridays and Saturdays from 7 – 11 p.m.

An Evening At Aria

Yesterday evening I joined the American Institute of Food and Wine for their monthly meet up at Aria. The vibe in the lounge was relaxed yet cool and my glass of Schwarzbock, a white wine from Austria, was fabulous. We nibbled on toasted brioche topped with capers and hard boiled egg and bite sized open-face BLTs. Gerry Klaskala also treated us to short rib on focaccia buns and spring rolls with laughing bird shrimp and vegetables. Aria's menu is especially tempting now that they give guests in the bar 20% off their entire food bill. This generous offer is available Monday through Saturday from open until close.

Aria is located at 490 East Paces Ferry Road in Buckhead. Operating hours are 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., and valet parking is available. For reservations and additional information, call
404-233-7673 or visit www.aria-atl.com.

Kozmo on the Cover

Kozmo Gastro Pub in Johns Creek has landed the June cover of Alpharetta magazine and they are celebrating! Tomorrow night, the new Alpharetta eatery is throwing a party to mark this exciting occasion and also launch their new Thursday ladies' night! There will be a live band from 7-10 p.m. and a DJ from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Kozmo's contemporary comfort foods, shi-shi Kozmo-politans and other classic cocktails make for a fulfilling girls' night out close to home!

Kozmo Gastro Pub: 11890 Douglas Road, Suite 105; 678-526-6094.

Welcome Your Neighborhood EVOS!

Back in 1994, three guys were driving around Florida in a hot car, craving burgers and fries, but dreading the aftershock those greasy, not-so-healthy burgers and fries would wreak on their systems. A few miles down the road, the idea for EVOS® was born. They still didn't have a place for lunch, but they had an evolutionary idea about low fat, fast food eating that spread like ketchup. Getting right to the low-fat meat of the matter, EVOS will open in The Prado on Roswell Road on Friday, June 5.



Eating at EVOS is healthy for you and for the environment. The guys at EVOS are glad to explain without getting preachy. When you choose burgers, wraps, salads, soups and shakes from the menu, you get 50-70 percent less fat, 100 percent pure taste. Meats are slow-roasted, and Airfries are Airbaked so there are no greasy grills or dirty oils to pollute your veins or municipal drains. Meats are humanely raised, antibiotic and hormone free; Certified Organic and Fair Trade Certified ingredients are used wherever possible. Steakburgers are made from prime cuts of beef (not grab-bag cuts), and fresh "fruitshakes" blend organic fruits and juices, organic milk and a complementary multivitamin supplement. Vegetarian and vegan options abound. And, since the founders have kids of their own, the Healthy Kids menu stars tasty, healthy foods instead of cheap, shiny toys.




The Friday, June 5, EVOS will be open daily from 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. at 5590 Roswell Road, NE; 404-252-4022.

Wine Tasting at Eclipse di Luna!

Eclipse di Luna at Miami Circle hosts a wine tasting the first Tuesday of each month and you know that means. The tasting for June is tomorrow! From 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. the restaurant offers wines tastes with appetizers for only $10. This is such an awesome deal that you should go ahead and mark your calendar for the rest of the year! Located in Buckhead at 764 Miami Circle; 404-846-0449.