Book Your Christmahaunakwanzika Party at Aqua Blue Early and Save!

Keep more jingle in the holiday season (and in your pocket) by booking your party early at Aqua blue. Do you think Santa waits till the month before Christmas to start planning? Nooo-ho-ho way, and neither should you! You don't have to hold the party now, but if you plan ahead and book your holiday soirée in the next few weeks you’ll be able to save a sizable chunk of change. The popular restaurant and bar in Roswell is extending 10 percent off party food costs and nixing the room rental fee for those who book their event before September 16. Aqua blue simplifies the planning process and offers options ranging from value-priced luncheons to multi-course fine dining and elegant cocktail receptions with chef stations. To book your event, contact Sabrina Rosenberg, srosenberg@sterlingspoon.com, 770-643-8886.

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

Bonnie Tandy Leblang has the healthy degree (she's a registered dietician) but admits loving food -- all kinds of food.  Find out what's going on in her food world bite-by-bite on Twitter (@BonnieBOTB).  For bigger portions, hit up her interactive website -- Bite of the Best.

There’s No Fowl Play in Bluffton: New Chicken Abattoir Opens at White Oak Pastures

Pass the drumsticks, please!  On August 29, White Oak Pastures began processing birds in their brand new, on-farm poultry abattoir -- the only USDA-inspected poultry processing facility available to farmers for processing free-range pastured poultry in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi.  The timing couldn’t be better, because today marks the start of National Chicken Month, and what better way to celebrate than with some tasty, free-range fare?  Will Harris offers chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese on his five-generation, family owned and operated Bluffton, Ga. farm.  In addition to the abattoir, Harris is further developing the farm’s Serengeti Plains rotational grazing model that moves cows, sheep and birds through pastures for feeding and fertilizing -- a method that has existed for centuries in Africa.  White Oak Pastures also participates in the Global Animal Partnership's Five-Step Animal Welfare Rating Standards program and is one of only two farms in the country to receive the Step Five certification on its chickens (and one of only a handful of farms to receive the Step Four certification on cattle).  You can find White Oak Pastures chicken in many of your favorite restaurants and grocery stores.  So don’t delay, get some today!

White Oak Pastures: 22775 Highway 27, Bluffton, GA; 229-641-2081

Duck Into Atkins Park Smyrna for Dueling Pianos Tonight!

While you're staring at your computer screen today, you might as well start typing up a list of your favorite song requests so you can head over to Atkins Park Tavern in Smyrna tonight for dueling pianos! Every Wednesday night at 8 p.m., pianists Ty Reynolds, Mike Renna and Mark Kovaly will play all the requests you can think of along with their own preferred selections. We suggest keeping an ongoing personal playlist and turning this ivory-tickling entertainment into a weekly outing with friends!

Atkins Park Tavern in Smyrna is located in Market Village at 2840 Atlanta Road.

Saved by the Bocce Ball

According to the Atlanta Bocce League (ABL), bocce ranks third in worldwide sports participation (behind soccer and golf) and is considered to be the oldest-known sport in world history. In true southern Italian style, Double Zero Napoletana in Sandy Springs is finishing up installation of bocce ball courts on its generous patio, and both courts will soon be ready for bocce action.

Don't know if you have what it takes? The ABL says bocce essentials are "something to sit on, something to sip on, something to listen to, and the bocce balls." The restaurant will host the Atlanta Bocce Ball fall league from 6:15 - 10 p.m. every Wednesday night for eight weeks beginning on September 14. Don't forget the sips at Double Zero's full bar, or the sits -- as in sitting down to share small plates, dinner or dessert after the match! More on Facebook.

Bocce is already well entrenched in the game repertoire of Ormsby's. The Atlanta Bocce League will play fall games at this Westside bar and eatery on Monday nights beginning September 19 from 6:15 - 10 p.m. Ormsby's is home to Atlanta's premier indoor bocce league...good to know because a) no rainouts (in case it does rain); b) no dry spells (abundance of cold brews and other libations); and c) plenty of fuel for the games with hearty appetizers, sandwiches and burgers.

To participate, sign up at www.atlbocce.com by Thursday, September 1. Registration costs $45 per player with a five-player minimum per team. Teams registering with fewer than five players may absorb other registrants to form a complete team.

Double Zero Napoletana: 5825 Roswell Road; 770-817-8000.
Ormsby's: 1170 Howell Mill Road, NW; 404-968-2033.

What's Cooking This Labor Day Weekend?

Do it. Face the weekend before it swallows you.  

Maybe you have big plans (that don't involve cooking), house guests (not the kind of catering you had in mind) or you'll be pulling back into town after holiday travel (please no more drive thru, and I can't deal with the groceries). 

Keep this open-on-Labor Day list of restaurants handy.  Tackling meal and party decisions suddenly became much less laborious!

·  Atkins Park Tavern in Smyrna and Virginia Highland:  Late night note -- Atkins Park Virginia Highland stays open later, until 2:30 a.m., on Sunday due to the Monday holiday.

·  Briza: Farm-to-table Southern fare in a stylish setting for breakfast, lunch or dinner in the Renaissance Atlanta Midtown Hotel.

·  Fadó Irish Pub & Restaurant:  Aye, Buckhead's favorite Irish pub always has sports on the screens, cold drinks and hearty fare.

·  Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar: The Fleming's 100 wine list is on!

·  Marlow's Tavern:  Ideal meeting place for friends.  All eight locations will be open.

·  Ormsby's:  Come in on Sunday for Brews, chews and games until 2:30 a.m.

·  RA Sushi:  Cool off with $8 Summer Sips specialty drinks, sushi and Japanese fusion dishes. 

·  Smashburger:  Smashing time to try either the Buckhead or Johns Creek locations.

·  Spice Market:  In the W Atlanta-Midtown for exotic eats near at hand.

·  Truffles Grill:  Lunch, dinner and drinks located right across from Lenox Square.