It's Follow Friday - Meet Our Tweeps Of The Week!

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is changing its menu of restaurant review offerings in print and on www.ajc.com.  John Kessler is back at the helm as chief dining critic.  He's joined by three bloggers who love good food!  

Gene Lee covers the international dining scene on his blog Eat, Drink, Man... A Food Journal and on Twitter (http://twitter.com/eatdrinkman).  For Southern and neighborhood fare, look to Jenny Turknett, the Twittering omnivore queen (http://twitter.com/jt3t) of the ATL's northern suburbs and her blog Going Low Carb.  Chowhound Jon Watson is good to go with both high-end restaurants and pub grub on Live To Feast and its Twitter twin (http://twitter.com/livetofeast).  

Congrats to all of y'all -- we can't wait to see what you eat and tweet about!

Get Your Meat On with Chef Anne Quatrano

Got a hankering for meat? Chef Anne Quatrano has got you covered. On Tuesday, November 2, she will be hosting a special "Local Meat Dinner" at the Floataway Cafe in honor of Deborah Krasner's book "Good Meat: The Complete Guide to Sourcing and Cooking Sustainable Meat." The cost is $105 per person and includes dinner, wine pairings and a signed copy of Krasner's book. Check out Quatrano's menu and all the event details here. Beat the crowd and RSVP now to 404-892-1414. Be sure to let them know you're reserving for the "Local Meat Dinner" at 7:30 p.m. in the private dining room. In addition to enjoying a delicious dinner, you will be supporting Slow Food Emory and Emory Dining Green Team, with a portion of the evening's proceeds benefitting these student organizations.

Floataway Cafe: 1123 Zonolite Rd NE Suite 15, Atlanta, GA 30306; 404-892-1414

Saturdays Are Demo-tastic at Atlanta Farmers Markets

Heading out for a Saturday morning stroll through your local farmers market is a local tradition these days, and it wouldn’t be a market morning without a talented local chef showing you the tricks of the trade for the very veggies in your basket.  This weekend, two of Atlanta’s top chefs will be teaching their trade!

JCT. Kitchen & Bar Executive Chef Ford Fry will lead the Morningside Farmers Market "Shop with a Chef" class at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 30.  Fry will work with produce from Woodland Gardens.  Shop the market for the freshest and finest organic produce, including hard-to-find herbs and unusual vegetables.  This is the place to find those Southern garden ingredients -- the kind Chef Fry loves to include in his JCT. Kitchen dishes! 

The Fall harvest brings a cornucopia of local produce to the Piedmont Park Green Market.  See what tricks Keira Moritz of Pacci Ristorante, a Kimpton Restaurant, has up her sleeve when she cooks at 11 a.m. Saturday, October 30 on the Community Center patio. Her Southern roots and Italian finesse will bring out the best in seasonal eating.

The fall is the perfect time to head to the market for a chef demo, so head into the sunshine and learn something new this weekend!

Oh Me, Oh My, Ribs & Whiskey Is About To Go Goodbye!

They say all good things must come to an end...but not before I try to eat everything first. November 1st is the last day to dig into the Marlow's Tavern "Ribs & Whiskey" specials over lunch or dinner. That means November 2nd will be a sad day for all the ribs & whiskey lovers. I'm sure I'll still be in a Marlow's food coma, because I’ve tried to eat all of my favorites before it goes away.

If you haven't tried the "Ribs & Whiskey" special menu then you, my friend, are missing out at a taste of glory. I recommend you start out with the slow-cooked St. Louis-style Maker's Mark-glazed ribs. You honestly can't go wrong with anything on the menu, but head to Marlow's and be the judge for yourself.

Marlow's Tavern: Alpharetta at 3719 Old Alabama Road, 770-475-1800; Kennesaw at 745 Chastain Road, NW, 770-425-8777; Midtown at 950 West Peachtree Street, 404-815-0323; Vinings at 2355 Cumberland Parkway, 770-432-2526; Northlake at 4156 LaVista Road, 678-987-1197; and Duluth at 1950 Satellite Boulevard, 770-622-2033.

Cheers to helping a great cause!

“I believe the children are our future…” Clearly, Whitney Houston knew what she was singing about and Woodfire Grill agrees with the sentiment!  Their upcoming Evening of Wine To Support Junior Achievement of Georgia on Monday, November 1 at 6:30 p.m. is a wonderful way to support a great cause while enjoying some great wines and a four course dinner. 

The evening will help support Junior Achievement of Georgia, a wonderful program that helps get kids ready for the real world through volunteer programs and hands-on experiences in the business world.  Tickets ($150 per person or $250 per couple) are available online at www.georgia.ja.org or call 404.257.1932, ext. 2116.

Roasting, Tweeting and More - Oh My!

No doubt you've already heard about the Legends of Atlanta Hospitality Roast on Monday night - Chef Gerry Klaskala joining Anne Quatrano and Kevin Rathbun in the honoree chairs for this memorable evening benefiting the Atlanta Community Food Bank. BUT, have you already heard about the fantastic Twitter contest the ACFB is hosting in conjunction with this fun event?

The ACFB is having a giveaway on Twitter this Thursday (yes, tomorrow). At 2 p.m., a Tweet will be sent out with a video that has a question to answer. Respond within 30 minutes on Twitter with your answer and the hashtag #ACFBRoast, and you could win a really sweet prize courtesy of one of these amazing chefs or The Cook's Warehouse. Details and rules are on ACFB's Roast page. Start following ACFB on Twitter today to win!

Open House for the Holidays

Planning a holiday party this year?  Come to Morton’s Open House this Thursday, October 28th from 4pm - 6pm and you’re bound to get some festive inspiration!  This exclusive preview of Morton’s private dining rooms, perfect for receptions, luncheons, dinners or corporate events, is complimentary and open to anyone who RSVPs.  The rooms have been decked out for the holidays by some of Atlanta’s most reputable event vendors, so sip on sparking wine, nibble some of Morton’s signature hors d’oeuvres, and get in the holiday spirit as you tour all the different settings Morton’s has to offer.  Email or call Sarah Foss at (404) 816–6535 to reserve your spot!

Peachtree Lenox Building
3379 Peachtree Rd. N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30326

Bird is the Word: Local Food Expert Julia Leroy Shares Chicken Rillette Recipe

Check out this week's issue of The Sunday Paper to get tips from Chef Julia LeRoy on preparing chicken...her recipe for chicken rillette with pickled vegetable salad has been a dinner party hit and is sure to come in handy with the holidays approaching. Julia prefers humanely raised and locally procured birds, especially those from White Oak Pastures, and suggests readers use the same for their chicken dishes. You can also find other culinary tidbits from Julia on Facebook.

It’s “Take Your Feet to Eat” Walk and Dine Out Week

Photo by Sara Hannah

Today kicks off Buckhead’s first “Take Your Feet to Eat” Walk Week. Today through Friday, October 29, Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse and other Buckhead restaurants have special offers for mealtime walkers. The Buckhead Area Transportation Management Association (BATMA) touts several foot feats of the week -- since 25 percent of all auto trips are less than a mile, the event will reduce greenhouse emissions and congestion and walking is a healthy alternative to driving. Davio’s is offering a special three-course menu for just $15 for “Take Your Feet to Eat” Walk Week. You can view the menu on BATMA’s website. Find out more and sign the pledge on Facebook.

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