Raise Your Glass to International Beer Day!

Lord beer me strength, today is International Beer Day! There’s nothing better than getting your friends together for this celebration. For some of the best beer lists around town, be sure to hop into Atkins Park Tavern in Virginia Highland and Smyrna, Ormsby’s, Fadó Irish Pub and Restaurant or any of the eight Marlow’s Tavern locations. Each restaurant is stocked with short stouts, sweaty long necks, blonde pilsners, dark ales, domestic and international labels and microbrews for your selection. With all these choices, you’ll be able to pick out an old favorite or draft something completely different.

While you’re there, don’t forget that each of these places has some delicious bites too. From beer-infused dishes to sandwiches, burgers and more, you will definitely be able to find a tasty dish to go great with your beer of choice. With your fork in one hand and a beer in the other, you can’t go wrong. Cheers!

Atkins Park Tavern - Virginia Highland: 794 North Highland; 404 -876-7249. Atkins Park Tavern - Smyrna: Market Village, 2840 Atlanta Road; 770-435-1887.
Fadó Irish Pub & Restaurant: 273 Buckhead Avenue; 404-841-0066.
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; Duluth at 1950 Satellite Boulevard, 770-622-2033; East Cobb at 1311 Johnson Ferry Road (across from the movie theatre and next to Kohl's department store), 770-977-7747; and Cumming at 410 Peachtree Parkway, 770-886-3666.
Ormsby's: 1170 Howell Mill Road, NW; 404-968-2033.

It's Follow Friday; Meet Our Tweep of the Week @BBQgeek

You might say BBQgeek takes his cues from 'cue, and his tweets are smokin' with spicy comments from top chefs. Obviously there's a BBQ cult out there that's more than happy to pull up the good stuff and toss it on to the rest of us. 


Butt in on the action on Twitter (@BBQgeek) and look for links to area BBQ joints, BBQ sites, blogs and scoop on local BBQ happenings on his BBQgeek blog.

Have a Peachy Month!

Spice Route Supper Club's Peach Chutney

If you haven't bitten into a sweet, juicy Georgia peach yet this summer, then put down the mouse and head to your nearest farm stand or favorite restaurant. It's National Peach Month in the Peach State, for goodness sakes!

As you might have guessed, we even have a handy list for you, plus a recipe. Enjoy!

Spice Market in the W Atlanta-Midtown is incorporating the luscious fruit into a roasted peach financier with peach and shiso salad and ginger ice cream for a cool $7. (In the W Atlanta-Midtown, 188 14th Street, NE; 404-724-2550)

Smashburger crushes the juicy fruits into peach BBQ sauce for its Atlanta burger, which is dolled up with Wicked® Pimena cheese, grilled jalapeños and Vidalia coleslaw on an egg bun. Regular Smash is $5.99 and $6.99 for the Big Smash. Buckheaders are good to go at their Smashburger and things will be peachy for Johns Creek residents when their neighborhood Smashburger opens August 10. (Buckhead: 2625 Piedmont Road, NE; 404-237-2374. Johns Creek: 9775 Medlock Bridge Road; 770-497-6274.)

JCT. Kitchen & Bar dresses up the house-smoked pork chop with potato purée, Vidalia onion and grilled peaches for $26. (In Atlanta's Westside Urban Market at 1198 Howell Mill Road; 404-355-2252)

Asha Gomez of Spice Route Supper Club and soon-to-open Cardamom Hill embraces Georgia peaches and works them into her flavorful Kerala, India cuisine. One of her favorite ways to use them is to make peach chutney (inspired by the flavors of Kerala):

Serves: 6 to 8

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. fresh Georgia peaches (cored and cut into bite-size pieces)
• 20 white pearl onions
• 3 fresh bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon ginger (julienned)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 star anise
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil

Directions:

• Sauté pearl onions, ginger in the coconut oil until they are golden brown
• Add bay leaves, cinnamon, star anise, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, paprika, salt and sugar and cook for about 3 minutes.
• Add the peaches and cook for 5 minutes.
• Serve with grilled chicken or grilled fish.

Find Tropical Paradise at Atkins Park in Smyrna This Weekend

What’s on your calendar for this weekend? Hula your way over to Atkins Park Tavern in Smyrna this weekend for their Luaupalooza celebration this Saturday, August 6. Whether you want to party inside or out, they’ve got something for everybody, including live music from 2 p.m. to 3 a.m., beer trucks, whole hog pig roasts, plus a cornhole tournament and hulu hoop contest.


The party will set off with a bang with the huge fireworks show that Atkins Park has planned for y’all! Sounds like summer fun to us… check it out for yourself this Saturday!

It’s A Hole In One! Enter to Win Truffles Grill’s PGA Championship Giveaway

The crowd has gone deadly silent and it’s a Cinderella story outta nowhere… they’re all watching YOU win 2 ground passes to the PGA Championship. This could be reality if you head to Truffles Grill this week and drop your business card to register to win!


The restaurant will be giving four chances to win tickets to the coveted event coming up at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek from Thursday, August 11 to Sunday, August 14.


Drawings will be held nightly at 9 p.m. at Truffles Grill on Thursday, August 4 to Sunday, August 7. Check out their Facebook page for more details and start practicing your best happy gopher dance in case you win!

Shake Up the End of Your Summer by Entering the Mayfield Below Zero Hero Contest

Summer days have been so hot lately that it’s almost too hot to go outside. One way to cool down is by creating your very own delicious milkshake. Mayfield Dairy is hosting its Second Annual Mayfield Dairy Millkshake Recipe Contest until August 15. By submitting your recipe at www.belowzerohero.com, you have the chance to win a $10,000 grand prize and enjoy your ultimate milkshake creation. The Atlanta-based dairy churned out a survey that should provide some helpful tips for you when you create your milkshake masterpiece. The shakedown discovered that Americans prefer to blend their shakes with fresh fruit such as strawberries (#1) and bananas (#2) over candy. Contrary to stereotypes about women and chocolate, slightly more males than females go for chocolate add-ins. Make sure you submit your recipe by August 15 and visit the contest's website, Facebook or Twitter (@IceCreamFun) pages for recipes and tips!

A panel of culinary judges will pick the top 10 recipes nationally based on overall appeal, originality and taste. The recipes will be posted online on August 25 for consumers to taste test and vote on, and winners will be announced in early September. First place winner slurps up $10,000, second place $3,000 and third place $1,000, so grab your ice cream, milk and a little creativity and start shaking up your kitchen!

Smash into Johns Creek’s Newest Burger Joint, Smashburger

Smashburger joins the Metro-Atlanta Burger scene on Wednesday, August 10 – this time in Johns Creek! This fast-causal, “better burger” restaurant will open at the corner of Medlock Bridge Road and State Bridge Road allowing you to smash, sizzle and savor the flavors of this delicious burger. Denver-based Smashburgers are spreading across the nation, tailoring menus that reflect each region. For us, that means Southern flavors including an Atlanta burger with peach BBQ sauce, Wicked® Pimena cheese, grilled jalapeños and Vidalia coleslaw on an egg bun and an Atlanta Dog with Wicked® Pimena cheese, grilled jalapeños and Vidalia coleslaw. Burgers begin with 100-percent-fresh, never-frozen Certified Angus Beef smashed on a flat grill to sear in the juices then served on toasted artisan buns and dressed with real cheeses, the freshest produce and top-quality condiments. Going beyond burgers, marinated chicken sandwiches, grilled and seared hot dogs, signature salads, veggie frites and garlicky Smashfries are smash hits. Beer, wine, Häagen-Dazs shakes and root beer floats are liquid delights.

Smashburger - Johns Creek: 9775 Medlock Bridge Road; 770-497-6274.
Smashburger - Buckhead: 2625 Piedmont Road, NE; 404-237-2374.

Time to Celebrate 10 Years at Aqua blue

It’s party time! Today kicks off the 10-year anniversary celebration at Aqua blue in Roswell with a special $20.01 prix-fixe dinner menu plus $5 small plates and drink specials through Wednesday, August 10. On the last night, the restaurant is celebrating with Atlanta's own FunkyStuf 70s band plus complimentary cake and champagne for guests!

The $20.01 menu reads like a delicious timeline spanning the last decade with choices of a tasting plate of Asian Delight or butter lettuce wedge with vine-ripe tomato, crispy applewood smoked bacon, candied pecans and sweet Gorgonzola dressing; Maine lobster ravioli, wild shrimp and scallop grits or grilled beef tenderloin; and classic crème brûlée or a trio of sorbet. Selected small plates and cocktails are $5 during the celebration. Register to win a free meal a week for a year! Special Olympics Georgia receives a gift of 10 percent of the last night's sales. Visit Aqua blue on Facebook for more details. RSVP to 770-643-8886.

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