It’s Follow Friday: Meet our Tweep of the Week @TheNPAhardy

Is Hardy having a Lion King moment?

You know and love him at @dirtysouthwine, now check out Dirty South Wine blogger (and former Murphy-Goode winner) Hardy Wallace’s new Twitter account @TheNPAhardy! After completing his six month gig at Murphy-Goode, he’s working with The National Process Alliance in Santa Rosa that is “dedicated to responsible farming, minimalistic winemaking and transparency for consumers.

Besides following him on Twitter, make sure to check out his “webisodes” for The NPA. We are excited to keep up with the newest chapter of his wine adventures!

NASCAR and...wine?

Want to gear up for the race this weekend at the Atlanta Motor Speedway? Maybe even have a beer, glass of liquor or maybe a glass of wine with a driver? On Friday night at Morton's The Steakhouse in Buckhead, NASCAR driver Bobby Labonte and Adobe Road Winery owner and CEO of TRG Motorsports Kevin Buckler, are hosting an Adobe Road Wine Dinner.

Prepare to fuel up because the wine dinner includes Adobe Road wines paired up with dishes from Morton's Executive Chef Tony Ballester. Included in the dinner is an opportunity to win a raffle for two 'Garage Passes' to Sunday's race at the wine dinner. You can get up close to these 700+ horsepower machines instead of just watching it flash by on your TV screen.

I don't know about you, but I'll be racing my way to reserve a seat at the dinner with Bobby Labonte and try to win those garage passes!

Morton's The Steakhouse - Buckhead: Peachtree Lenox Building, 3379 Peachtree Road, NE; 404-816-6535.

New Belgium New Patio

It might be a bit chilly outside but today's sunshine (especially after yesterday's crazy snow) is just begging to be enjoyed. Luckily, Marlow's Tavern Northlake is celebrating its newly renovated rooftop patio tonight with a New Belgium beer party at 8 p.m. Check out the refreshed patio, enjoy tasty appetizers and of course, drink plenty of beer! The brewers will also be in attendance, so don't miss the chance to mingle with the brains behind these newly-released brews.

Don't worry, if it gets too cold to be enjoyed outside the party will move indoors so there is no excuse not to show!

Atkins Park is 27!

Anyone who's been to Ormsby's knows that Warren Bruno really understands how to make a place fun. Great beer. Games. Cool location. Nice people. But many may not know that 27 years ago Warren opened the original Atkins Park in Virginia-Highland with the same recipe for success. Today the still-popular hangout celebrates with an open party from 6 - 7. Stop by and thank Warren for eschewing the flash and fads and just keeping it real for all these years.

March 1998 Makes a Killer Comeback

And we're not talking about N*SYNC and baby tees. This month marks the 12th anniversary of Ray's Killer Creek in Alpharetta. In March of 1998, Ray's Restaurants (Ray's on the River, Ray's Killer Creek and Ray's in the City) opened the company's Killer Creek outpost to serve Alpharetta residents searching for fresh seafood, prime steaks and award winning wines. Now, there's no better time to check out Executive Chef Danny Frier's cusine and see what has made Ray's Killer Creek an OTP mainstay for more than a decade. The restaurant is open for weekday lunch, nightly dinner and Sunday brunch.

Ray's Killer Creek is located at 1700 Mansell Road, and guests can call 770-649-0064 to make reservations.

I Love La Grassa!

Starting this Wednesday, March 3 through Saturday, March 13, La Tavola Trattoria's annual La Grassa celebration is back in action! It is definitely one of my favorite Fifth Group food events. Each year, the cozy Virginia Highland trattoria highlights the savory riches of Italy's culinary capital, Bologna. Appetizers on the special menu include dandelion greens with roasted pears, walnuts, shaved Parmesan and balsamic vinaigrette; beet and farro salad with hazelnuts, watercress and beet vinaigrette; crispy sweetbreads with chestnut cream, blood oranges and roasted cipollini onions; and garlic soup with smoked croutons and pumpkin seed oil ($4.50-$12). Enticing entrées items include spinach gnocchi with porcini mushroom sauce and prosciutto ribbons; Bollito Misto -- slow-cooked beef brisket and veal tongue with new potatoes and salsa verde; braised pork belly with balsamic vinegar glaze, smoked potatoes and savoy cabbage; lasagna with lamb Bolognese; Pasta Imbottita -- tiny dumplings filled with ricotta cheese and lemon zest ($16-$18). Dessert is the classic Castagnaccio, a chestnut cake with fig jam and house-made crème fraîche ($7). Don’t miss out on this savory celebration!

La Tavola Trattoria: 992 Virginia Avenue, NE; 404-873-5430.