It's Follow Friday; Meet our Tweep of the Week @TheWineGenie

There's a fun story behind Kiley - The Wine Genie and her blog.  Upon graduating from college, she heads over to Italy to teach English and ends up gaining a wine education with friends and a Fiat on weekends.  Nice homework!  

Follow her short sips on Twitter: @TheWineGenie.  Fill up a big wine glass and prepare to take notes when you click into her The Wine Genie vino blog.  For all of you who dream of wining through Italy, this one's for you.

Half Price is So Nice at Spice Market

It's April, and the tax man cometh.  Don't give him the slip; share this lucrative tip:  All month long, Spice Market in the W Atlanta-Midtown is slicing 50 percent off the price of every bottle of wine.  Forget the stress of filling out forms, filing, waiting for refunds or, gulp, paying way more than you anticipated.  There's no double-dipping, as in, this offer cannot be combined with any other offer.  

Spice Market serves dinner daily, and offers guests options of complimentary valet parking for up to three hours or self parking in the Colony Square parking deck at the corner of 14^th and Juniper after 6 p.m. daily. 

RAISE A GLASS TO HELP UNCORK A CURE FOR HIV

Check your calendars! You don’t want to miss the 21^st annual Uncork a Cure on Thursday, April 28 from 6 - 9 p.m. Take an evening to grab a glass of wine, eat some delicious food and enjoy the silent auction at The Foundry at Puritan Mill. More than 20 Atlanta area restaurants are sending chefs with specialties to this annual event including La Tavola Trattoria, The Original El Taco, RA Sushi and Spice Market.

Your ticket and/or charitable donation supports the AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta, a local 501( c)(3) organization that leads HIV education programs, conducts research and clinical trials for new drugs and vaccines to fight HIV, and provides free, fast and anonymous HIV testing programs. Tickets are $75 until April 27 or $100 at the door; special VIP packages are available too. Grab a pen and save the date, you don’t want to miss this fun evening!

The Foundry at Puritan Mill: 916 Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard; 404-962-8700.

Spice Up Your Saturday and Your Email Inbox

Ban the bland by sitting down to a Spice Route Supper Club dinner where you can wake up your senses with the spice route flavors of Kerala, India. The Saturday, April 16 dinner is a traditional sadya -- a banquet that is a staple of Kerala celebrations. Asha Gomez will guide diners, seated on floor mats, through the history and ritual of this 21-dish vegetarian feast. Among the dishes are avial, the classic coconut-enriched Kerala vegetable curry; sambar, the classic tamarind-based vegetable stew of South India; ginger curry; beet pachadi, which is a yogurt-based curry; and thoren, made of stir-fried vegetables with grated coconut nut, mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Cost for the 7:30 p.m. dinner is minimum cash-only donation of $75 (payable at the end of the meal) and includes wine pairings, beer or tea. The secret northwest-Atlanta location will be revealed to guests once they sign up; however, you'll feel like you're in the tropical state of Kerala on India's southern coast by the time the evening's over!

Get on the invite list for future Spice Route Supper Club events by emailing spiceroutesupperclub@gmail.com. Upon receiving an invitation, reply promptly if you are interested in securing a place at the table. Spice Route Supper Club gatherings generally include approximately 20 people.

It's Not Just Another Manic Monday...on April 18, RA Sushi is Extending Happy Hour

Since the IRS has extended the national tax return deadline until Monday, April 18, RA Sushi is hosting "Manic Monday" and extending the restaurant's happy hour specials from 3 p.m. to midnight that day to give guests an incentive to finish their taxes over the weekend. All-day $2-$6 pricing on select beer, wine and sake, as well as more than 35 sushi, appetizer and tapas selections for $2-$7 is the ultimate stress reliever for those making the last-minute mad rush to the postbox. Food specials include garlic sugar snap peas, shishito peppers, squid salad, seaweed salad, spicy salmon roll, rainbow roll and tuna tataki. "Manic Monday" pricing is available for dine in only.

RA Sushi: 1080 Peachtree Street at 1010 Midtown; 404-267-0114.

It’s Time to Get Hoppin’ on Your Easter Plans

Easter is coming up next weekend and we’ve got a list of great places to celebrate all over the city! From brunch buffets to family fajita nights, there’s something for everyone! 

In Roswell, Aqua blue is the place to go for a chic Easter Sunday brunch buffet starting 10:30 a.m. $29.95 for adults, $9.95 for children ages 4 to 12 and free for children under the age of 4. (1564 Holcomb Bridge Road; 770-643-8886) 

Hop off GA 400 or Peachtree and skip into Phipps Plaza in Buckhead to enjoy your Easter meal at Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse. Sit down to Davio's white-clothed tables and attentive service. Fill your plate from the abundant appetizer buffet then choose from a selection of à la carte entrée options and a generous dessert array. The special Easter spread is $45 for adults and $17.50 for children 12 and under. (Phipps Plaza, 3500 Peachtree Road, NE; 404-844-4810) 



Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar invites you to sit down to their special Fleming's Bellini cocktail for $6.95 while deciding which appetizer, entrée and dessert selections you want to savor on their three-course prix fixe brunch menu. Easter Sunday brunch is offered from 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. for $32.95 for adults and $15.95 for children 12 and under (plus tax and gratuity). Those of you with Fleming's favorites, stay calm . . . the regular menu also will be offered. (4501 Olde Perimeter Way in Perimeter Place Village; 770-698-8112)

Marlow's Tavern makes celebrating Easter easy with six of its seven locations serving Sunday brunch. Each location is extending brunch hours and expanding its menus for the special day. Call your local Marlow's for more details. (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; Duluth at 1950 Satellite Boulevard, 770-622-2033; and East Cobb at 1311 Johnson Ferry Road (across from the movie theatre and next to Kohl's department store); 770-977-7747.) 

Settle in for a traffic-free Easter meal with the help of the New York Butcher Shoppe. All three Atlanta locations are offering a variety of delicious meats, sides, wines and desserts to create a fabulous holiday feast. Less-skilled cooks can impress with the "mother-in-law" trick option. Simply bring in your own casserole dishes and have them filled with side items to complement your meal. Place your order by April 17, and the New York Butcher Shoppe will knock 20 percent off the price of all side items. (Dunwoody at 2458 Mt. Vernon Road, 770-399-6328; Sandy Springs at 4969 Roswell Road, 404-303-0704; and Alpharetta at 5354 McGinnis Ferry Road, 678-624-0047.) 

From 9 a.m. until 3 p.m., Ray's at Killer Creek in Alpharetta will offer a generous brunch buffet priced at $29.95 for adults, $14.95 for children ages 5 to 10 and free for children ages 4 and under. Dinner guests may order off the regular menu from 5 - 9 p.m. (1700 Mansell Road; 770-649-0064) 

We do Easter brunch right down south, and both locations of South City Kitchen are preparing three-course meals rich with Southern favorites and hospitality served from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. $25 for adults and $12.50 for children under the age of 12. (South City Kitchen Vinings: 1675 Cumberland Parkway; 770-435-0700. South City Kitchen Midtown: 1144 Crescent Avenue; 404-873-7358.) 

And if that's not Southern enough, zip across the culinary border for Easter brunch at Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food. The Uncle covers the heat range from mild and savory to wake-you-up spices in his breakfast tacos and brunch quesadillas, huevos rancheros, chilaquiles, applewood smoked bacon, brunch potatoes, seasoned fruit and beans (frijoles a la charra, refried or black beans). For youngsters, Uncle Julio's offers a special menu with scrambled egg and cheddar tacos, quesadillas and more -- all served with fruit. If Easter dinner is on the agenda, Atlantans can take advantage of Uncle Julio’s new Fajita Fiesta family-style meal offered on Sundays for only $15.95 per person and $5.95 for children ages 12 and under. Enjoy Saturday and Sunday brunch and the regular menu every weekend from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Buckhead: 1860 Peachtree Road, NW; 404-350-6767. Sandy Springs: 1140 Hammond Drive, NE, Building K, Suite 100; 678-736-8260.)

Post-Paddy’s Irish Fun at Fadó Irish Pub & Restaurant

Did St. Patrick’s Day celebrations leave way too soon? With your luck of the Irish, you can still have “craic” (Irish for big-time fun) at Fadó Irish Pub & Restaurant in Buckhead. Have a few pints during the Pub Quiz on Wednesday, April 18 at 8 p.m. with Irish host Rob Kiely. The top three teams win prizes; those teams with clever names get prized in its own way. Later in the week, come back to Fadó on Friday, April 15 to get your Irish jig on with DJ mixes from the 80s, 90s, U.S. to U.K. starting at 10 p.m. Irish musicians gather at Fadó on Monday, April 18 for a night of Irish music. Be prepared to dance and musicians are welcome to come add their talent to the evening.

Fadó Irish Pub & Restaurant: 273 Buckhead Avenue; 404-841-0066.

Feed Yourself To Help Feed Others

There's been plenty of attention lately to childhood obesity, yet not so much on the one in four children in the U.S. who go hungry each day. Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation is in its 23rd year of raising funds to provide healthy nutrition for these children so they can focus on learning instead of wondering when hunger pangs will go away. Atlanta's annual event takes place Thursday, April 14 at the Georgia Aquarium and will honor chefs, like Aria Executive Chef/Owner Gerry Klaskala, who have supported Taste of the Nation Atlanta for 10 years or more. More than 50 of Atlanta's top restaurants will be on hand with flavorful dishes and wonderful wines including Aqua blue, Aria, Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse, Marlow's Tavern and Woodfire Grill. You can still purchase tickets online for the big night and know that while you're enjoying yourself you're helping local kids through the Atlanta Community Food Bank, Share Our Strength's Cooking Matters and Genesis, a New Life. General admission is $250 for the 7:30 - 10:00 p.m. gala. VIP ticket purchasers ($350 per person) enter at 6:30 p.m. for the preview party.

The Atlanta Dogwood Festival this Weekend at Piedmont Park

The Atlanta Dogwood Festival is back once again from Friday, April 15 through Sunday, April 17 at Piedmont Park! Several local restaurants are participating in the "Friends of Dogwood Pavilion" portion of the festival, including Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse, Morelli's Ice Cream, RA Sushi and Spice Market, where guests can sample delicious foods, desserts and special wine offerings. Tickets for the "Friends of Dogwood Pavilion" are $30 in advance and $35 at the door. The festival opens at noon on Friday, April 15 and closes at 9 p.m. The festival continues on Saturday, April 16 from 10 a.m. - 9 p.m., and finishes off the weekend on Sunday, April 17 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. The artist market closes at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The Atlanta Dogwood Festival, the Atlanta History Center and Margaret Mitchell House are collaborating on the double anniversary. Both organizations have engaging festival activities planned, and festival goers receive free admission to the Margaret Mitchell House on April 16 and 17.