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

Does she sleep in her kitchen? And what does her husband think about her housing Vikings in the kitchen?  Betting he loves it.  Karin Calloway's day jobs -- cook, editor, journalist, wife and mother of two teens -- are made easier by having a totally Viking-outfitted kitchen in her Augusta, Ga. home.   

Follow her on Twitter (@KarinCalloway) and find tried-and-true recipes and mouthwatering photography on her blog!

Celebrate National Tequila Month at Uncle Julio’s

Today kicks off the start of July and a holiday weekend. It also marks the beginning of another notable event. July is National Tequila Month! What better way to cool off during the summer then a margarita in your hand? Lucky for you, Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food is ready with 15 types of tequila backing the bar and a wide range of tequila-based drinks. Raise your glass -- first making sure it's filled with one of the Uncle's signature tequila drinks such as the new Patrón classic margarita made with Patrón Silver Tequila, Patrón Citronge Orange Liqueur and fresh-squeezed lime juice; the Swirl (a frosty blend of frozen margarita layered with frozen sangria); the classic frozen margarita, frozen strawberry margarita or Chambord margarita; or the Baja Gold (a frozen margarita mixed with Corona).

Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food: In Buckhead at 1860 Peachtree Road, NW; 404-350-6767. To-go line: 404-974-2991. In Sandy Springs at 1140 Hammond Drive, NE; 678-736-8260. To-go line: 678-736-8261.

It's A Holiday Weekend and I've Got Summer Sips On My Mind

Holla for the holiday weekend! There is nothing better than staring down three days of chilling at the beach, the lake or the pool, but with the Atlanta summer sun you know you are going to need some A/C breaks. Why not take a break at RA Sushi over the weekend to take one of their new Summer Sips for a spin?



The Orange Dreamsicle, Coconut Mojito or Key Lime Martini all sound like the perfect heatwave escape, and they are available starting TODAY through August 15, for a mere $8 each.

See you there!

The Fourth Is For Food, Brews and Freedom!

The Fourth of July falls on a Monday this year, opening up the weekend to a huge display of that favorite American pastime -- eating and drinking with family and friends. Whether you choose to grill on the deck and entertain at home or head out, Atlanta restaurants cover you in a star-spangled way.

Atkins Park Tavern in Virginia Highland will be hosting its fourth annual pig roast on July 4. Chef Andrew Smith will roast a whole Riverview Farms Berkshire pig and will offer smoked all-natural chicken. Order off the $15 "meat and three" menu brimming with grilled corn on the cob, potato salad, braised pole beans, vine-ripe tomato salad, Texas toast, three house-made sauces and a choice of Southern banana pudding or caramelized peach ice cream for dessert. Atkins Park Tavern will be open late on Sunday, July 3 for the holiday weekend, too. (794 North Highland; 404 -876-7249)

The "Red, White & Brew" menu at Marlow's Tavern continues to help Atlantans celebrate "life, liberty and the pursuit of happy hour" through July 25. Perfect for the patriotic holiday, the menu is all about summertime in America. While you're chillin' on Independence Day, enter the Second Annual Marlow's Tavern Grilling Recipe Contest -- maybe you'll win the Big Green Egg! Find out more and find a Marlow's Tavern location near you on their website.

New York Butcher Shoppe locations have meaty plans for your Fourth of July cookout and an especially big day planned at their Dunwoody location, which marks the starting point for the Dunwoody Fourth of July parade. The Dunwoody store will open at 7 a.m. on July 4; early parade goers can purchase breakfast tacos, coffee, iced coffee and mimosas. Throughout the weekend, folks in Dunwoody can stop by to enjoy specials on BBQ sandwiches and wings. All three locations -- Alpharetta, Buckhead and Dunwoody -- will offer the new "Grill Master" ($19.99 to $44.99) and "Weekend Getaway" ($64.99 to $94.99) packages. Choose your favorite meat combo package to grill or pick up a meat and side dish package for quick meal planning.

Rooftop 866 is hosting an Independence Day cookout from noon until 5 p.m. It will be easy to heap your plate high from the $10 buffet full of classic cookout fare -- hotdogs, hamburgers, pasta salad, sides and plenty of desserts. The rooftop bar and lounge also is offering buy-one-get-one-free Boozy Pops ($3), $3 draft beer and cocktail specials. (866 West Peachtree Street, NW; 678-412-2402)

Spice Market decorates for the Fourth of July with a delightful trio of red, white and blue sorbets for $5. These are the real thing: sour cherry purée is the main ingredient in the sour cherry sorbet, lemon juice and lemon zest star in the lemon sorbet and blueberry purée powers up the blueberry sorbet. (In the W Atlanta-Midtown, 188 14th Street, NE; 404-724-2550)

Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food in Buckhead invites Peachtree Road Race contestants to bring their race bib into the restaurant on July 4 to receive $10 off their meal (race bib offer excludes gratuity; not valid on gift cards or merchandise; no cash value or cash back). (Buckhead location: 1860 Peachtree Road, NW; 404-350-6767)

A star-spangled cookout begins with burgers made from White Oak Pastures grass-fed ground beef. Talk about American heritage -- Will Harris and his fifth-generation family farm raise some of the finest sustainable, Certified Organic grass-fed beef in the country! Read more and place an order online or call 229-641-2081. Atlantans also can purchase White Oak Pastures products at the New York Butcher Shoppe. And while we're on the subject of burgers, why not top that delicious grass-fed patty with a thick slice of sweet Vidalia onion!

Woodfire Grill keeps Georgia on your mind over the Fourth of July weekend by serving the finest local and sustainable fare at its annual "BBQ & Beer" bash on Saturday, July 2. The three-course, all-American dinner will be served from 5:30 - 11 p.m. and costs $38 per person (plus tax and gratuity). The menu includes an appetizer course; an entrée course consisting of a BBQ plate made with Gillespie's Terminus City BBQ sauce, Brunswick stew and two traditional sides; and fruit cobbler for dessert. There will also be freshly baked cornbread and Southern-style white bread on every table. The bar will serve SweetWater draft specials all night long with proceeds from beer sales going to "Save the Hooch," a campaign started by Atlanta's SweetWater Brewing Company in 2005 to advocate and secure the protection and stewardship of the Chattahoochee River, its tributaries and watershed, in order to restore and preserve their ecological health for the people, fish and wildlife that depend on the river system. Limited seating means reservations are required; call 404-347-9055. (1782 Cheshire Bridge Road; 404-347-9055).

Boozy Pops Are On Top at Rooftop 866

Contrary to what they say about heat rising, when you want to lick the heat, go up on the roof.  Rooftop 866 at the Renaissance Atlanta Midtown Hotel is serving Boozy Pops, adult-only popsicles that combine the most intoxicating elements of cocktails and desserts.  Flavors include basil peach margarita, mojito, pineapple mango rum, Bloody Mary and blueberry limoncello.  At $3 each, the push pops are a bargain with a bonus -- Midtown skyline views from the outdoor lounge atop Briza.

Sound tasty?  Get ready to tweet and eat at the Boozy Pop Tweet-up on Sunday, July 10 from 5 to 7 p.m.  You can use your blackberry to tweet about blueberry limoncello! The event will be hosted by one of Midtown’s most fabulous tweeps @MidtownMile as well as our own @AtlantaDish! Join the fun to test-taste a Boozy Pop for yourself, plus enjoy complimentary treats like chips & dip from Rooftop 866’s delicious menu.  We’ll see you there!

Spice Market Offers $5 Menu to Celebrate Five Weekends in July

In case you haven't already noticed, July 2011 is one of those rare months that contains five full weekends. I know what you're thinking - What will I do with all this free time? We suggest you make the most of it by visiting Spice Market, located inside the W Atlanta-Midtown, from 5 - 6 p.m. any Friday, Saturday or Sunday in July to take advantage of the special $5 menu offered in the bar area. Drinks and dishes for $5 each include: Whiskey Passion Fizz, Brancott Sauvignon Blanc, MacMurray Pinot Noir, Crios Malbec, Charles de Fère sparkling wine, Vietnamese spring roll, fragrant mushroom egg rolls with a galangal emulsion, crispy calamari with basil salt and a citrus-sriracha emulsion, chicken skewer with a lime dipping sauce, and charred chili-rubbed beef skewer with a Thai basil dipping sauce. Now that we've got your taste buds interested, go forth and be a weekend warrior!

Ray’s Restaurants Celebrate Christmas in July with Gift Card Bonus

Many of us tend to procrastinate when it comes to Christmas shopping. We don’t like tackling the mall crowds or standing in those long lines. This year, get a jump-start on some shopping at Ray’s Restaurants! Starting July 1 through August 31, Ray’s Restaurants (Ray's on the River, Ray's in the City and Ray's at Killer Creek) is offering a 20 percent bonus to all gift card purchases. These gift cards are perfect for any occasion, especially as a treat for yourself! Use your gift card for your favorite Ray’s selections of seafood, prime cut steaks and fine wines.

The gift card cannot be used the same day as purchased.

Ray's on the River: 6700 Powers Ferry Road; 770-955-1187.
Ray's at Killer Creek: 1700 Mansell Road, Alpharetta; 770-649-0064.
Ray's in the City: 240 Peachtree Street, NW; 404-524-9224.

Hurry in to Aqua blue Before July 3 and Catch the Tail End of Tailapalooza

Aqua blue’s lobster inspired event Tailapalooza will soon be heading back out to sea, so make sure you stop by this week to get your claws on these delicious dishes! The Roswell restaurant’s celebration ends Sunday, July 3. In the meantime, you can feast on roast lobster bisque ($6), Maine lobster roll ($10), butter-poached lobster salad ($15), house-made lobster mac 'n cheese ($8) and a succulent lineup of lobster tail combos ($26-$39). Tailapalooza wine specials include Benziger, Sangiacomo Vineyard Chardonnay, Carneros 2008 ($8.50/$32) and Folie à Deux "Ménage à Trois," California 2009 ($8/$32).

Aqua blue: 1564 Holcomb Bridge Road; 770-643-8886.

See Chef Ford Fry at the Atlanta Botanical Garden Well-Seasoned Chef Series on July 12

You don’t want to miss the Atlanta Botanical Garden Well-Seasoned Chef Series on Tuesday, July 12 when Ford Fry takes the stage. As owner and executive chef of JCT. Kitchen & Bar and owner of the soon-to-open No. 246 in Decatur, he’s got a lot to share with event attendees. Fry will prepare a four-part tasting menu in the Edible Garden Outdoor Kitchen using ingredients freshly harvested from the Edible Garden along with other locally grown items. The timing is perfect -- from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. -- not too hot and summer daylight lingers later. The price for the evening’s event is $115 per person; register by phone at 404-876-5859, ext. 2558.

Speaking of Fry, don’t forget to get tickets to JCT.'s upcoming event on Sunday, July 17: The Third Annual JCT. Kitchen Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival. Tickets are $55 per person for Georgia Organics members and $60 for non-members until this Thursday, June 30. Prices go up to $70 this Friday, July 1. Purchase tickets online. For more information, visit the festival's Facebook page.