Rave On, Food Fans

The Atlanta Food Rave- "Chef Keira Moritz" from The Atlanta Food Rave on Vimeo.

It’s the weekend!  What to do, what to do?

Pacci Ristorante Executive Chef Keira Moritz is one of the five hot chefs keeping things sizzling in the kitchen at The Atlanta Food Rave Experience tonight at the Mason Murer Fine Art Gallery.  The dinner menu is hush, hush until you arrive. (Vegetarians quell those food fears; there are options for you).  Tickets are $55 per person and include the Rave Review Culinary Extravaganza and Challenge dinner feast, an open bar with a collection of signature alcoholic and non-alcoholic specialty beverages, plus complimentary valet parking.  Must be 21 or over to attend.  Tickets available for purchase online only and will not be sold at the door.  The event benefits the Atlanta Community Food Bank and its mission to fight hunger by educating, empowering and engaging Metro Atlanta and North Georgia communities. 

Morningside is putting on a first of what we hope will become an annual summer tradition -- the Morningside Summer Block Party tomorrow.  The "block" lies behind DBA Barbecue and The Original El Taco at the corner of Virginia and Amsterdam avenues.  Gates open at 12:30 p.m., and the party cranks on with a lineup of four bands until 10 p.m.  Keep up the momentum with your El Taco favorites, ice-cold cocktails and Abita beer. Purchase these yums and others from DBA Barbecue and Mali Thai.  Your kids can frolic from 1 - 6 p.m. in the children's area.  Red and Rover?  They have to stay at home.  Tickets are $5 online in advance (plus $0.99 service fee) or $10 at the door; children 14 and under are free. A portion of the proceeds will be donated back to firehouse station #19 in Virginia Highland.

It’s Follow Friday – Meet our Tweep of the Week @JennHobby

Thanks to all the votes from her fans, Q100 Bert Show radio personality Jenn Hobby made it on "Live! with Regis and Kelly" in the "Women of Radio Co-Host for a Day" contest.  The big day was August 20, and you can still follow the action on her Twitter, website and blog.  

Hobby is loved by Bert Show fans for her "I feel like I know you already" warm heart and ability to reach out.  The FSU grad is also a TV host, aspiring foodie (executive chef of her own kitchen) and a wishful yogi.  Namaste, Jenn!

Art + Food + Drinks = Shaun's Tonight

I've found the perfect way to kick-off your weekend an evening early. Shaun's in Inman Park is featuring Atlanta-based artist and educator Amber Singleton's Back to Basics collection at Shaun's tonight from 7-9 p.m. Come out and enjoy complimentary appetizers and a cash bar while contemplating her contemporary works on paper.

Back to Basics explores the foundational elements of line and color to create movement, rhythm and pattern that reflect a therapeutic and hypnotic sense of flow. She has been teaching fine art for the past six years and has recently exhibited works at the Arts Exchange in Atlanta and the Anderson Art Center in Anderson, S.C.

A Thursday night in Inman Park at Shaun's is all I need for a great summer evening.

Shaun's: 1029 Edgewood Avenue, NE; 404-577-4358.

Check Out Checking In at RA Sushi

You already know to watch the temps this August for RA Sushi’s 100 Degree Hot Mess, but did you know they have an awesome new Foursquare offer?  Forget about those silly badges; we’re talking about a real reward here! 

Basically, you’ll get a FREE order of edamame or a miso soup with your Foursquare check-in.  Hop over to Midtown and just show your phone to your server after checking in to redeem!  1 offer per person, per day only.   

Today is the Day for Dinner at Davio’s!

The doors to Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse in Phipps Plaza finally open today and from the size of the incredible crowd at the grand opening party last night; you’ll want to make your reservation soon! The Atlanta newcomer has connections up north: a 25-year lineage under Owner Steve DiFillippo in Boston plus a location in Philadelphia and at Patriot Place in Foxborough, Mass. DiFillippo has chosen Executive Chef Bennett Hollberg, formerly of Atlantic Grill at The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta, to bring on a mouthwatering menu of appetizers, seasonal salads, homemade pastas, pizzas, fine beef, fresh fish, savory sides and lots more classic Italian fare. Signature items include the popular Philly Cheese Steak Spring Rolls®; lobster ravioli with sweet peas and tomato lobster brodo; grilled porterhouse veal chop with creamy potatoes and vintage port; grilled prime rib with roasted corn-sweet pepper salad and mashed potatoes; braised short ribs; pan-seared scallops; and sides such as quattro formaggi potato puffs and Gorgonzola mashed potatoes. I had my share of those dishes last night and let me say, they did not disappoint! Don’t take my word for it though, head to Buckhead and try them for yourself. Davio's serves dinner Sunday through Thursday from 5 to 11 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. If you want to get a early glimpse of Davio’s Atlanta location, check out the restaurant's Facebook page.

Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse: Phipps Plaza, 3500 Peachtree Road, NE; 404-844-4810.

How’s About Cooking Something Up With Me?

Apparently it’s not just to-die-for dishes and cutting edge cooking tips coming out of The Cook’s Warehouse kitchen these days – true love is on the menu! This past Friday night, cooking assistant Cyrus Bhedwar proposed to Naina Mehta as she taught an Indian cooking class. So sweet! 

The two have been dating for about a year and Cyrus thought that the class would be the perfect place to propose since they’ve had so much fun there together.

About 40 of the couples’ friends slipped in a back door to surprise Naina and celebrate her accepting the proposal! 

Congrats to the newly engaged couple – we wish you much happiness and lots of great times in the kitchen together in the years to come!

Get Your Wine Fix at Spice Market Before it's Going, Going, Gone!

Beginning today, it's out with the old and in with the deals at Spice Market in the W Atlanta Midtown. The restaurant is slashing prices on wines that are no longer on the wine list in order to make room for new fall selections and appropriately dubbing it "Going, Going, Gone." Two different wines will be featured each week and both options will be a steal: one will be a wine that is rarely served by the glass and the other is priced at only $5 per glass. Each wine lasts a week or until that stash in the cellar is depleted. What we like most about this deal is it gives us a chance to try out wines without committing to a whole bottle. Up on deck this week are Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($19/glass, $70/bottle) and Frei Brothers Chardonnay, Sonoma County ($5/glass, $19/bottle). "Going, Going, Gone" offers will be available at Spice Market through the fall.

Spice Market: In the W Atlanta Midtown, 188 14th Street, NE; 404-724-2550.

Good Morning Scoutmobbers!

Woohoo!  We here at Atlanta Dish were thrilled to be featured by Scoutmob this morning in their very cool newsletter and we just wanted to say hi to everyone who stopped by as a result!  What a lovely way to start the week out – thanks for popping by to see what Atlanta Dish is all about.

There’s always lots of great culinary news and events here in Atlanta to share, so make sure you’re connected with Atlanta Dish on all fronts!  You can sign up for our weekly newsletter over to your right on our blog here, or you can follow us on Facebook and Twitter.  See you online!