Fadó Has All Your Rugby World Cup Needs Covered!

According to the Rugby Football Union, the IRB Rugby World Cup is the third-biggest sporting event on the planet, right up there with the Olympics and FIFA World Cup Soccer. The matches are underway in New Zealand, continuing through the final on October 23. Fadó Irish Pub & Restaurant has your back with a full game-viewing lineup posted on the Fadó website sports page. The Buckhead pub will even show matches that air at 3:30 a.m. Atlanta time for ardent fans and insomniacs! Who needs sleep when you can cheer with friends over food and drink at Fadó? If you do need sleep, come back for the replays!

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

Our Appetizing Aperture of the Week

Current craving: this scrumptious plate of White Oak Pastures chicken (and all the fixings, of course) served up from Jim 'n Nick's BBQ at the recent grand opening party for the farm's new poultry abattoir!

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

Anyone who's used a trotline to fish or go crabbing knows you have to bait the hooks. The Trot Line (@TheTrotLine) uses intriguing nuggets of Southern culture unearthed right here in Atlanta to bait and hook readers into coming back for more.  Contributors on Twitter and The Trot Line blog include writers, photographers, outdoor enthusiasts, foodies and more who immerse themselves in our local Southern culture.  Bless their hearts!  Fill up your tall, sweet tea and link in for a visit.

Get Ready to Fall for Aqua blue's New Menu

Mark your calendars! This Friday marks the first day of fall and Aqua blue is unveiling its new menu in honor of the season. Starters of handcrafted flatbread, seared pork dumplings, Colorado lamb sliders with tomato-bacon jam, caramelized cipollini onion and gorgonzola, and new sushi rolls replace spring rolls and other light fare. Crowd pleasing mains include roasted chicken with Parmesan farro, carrots, celery, caramelized onion, Brussels leaves, Meyer lemon and thyme-scented wild mushroom jus; Niman Ranch pork chop with habanero sauce, Swiss chard and loaded red bliss potato; soy-glazed Georgia mountain trout with shiitake mushrooms, baby corn, zucchini, snow peas and carrots with teriyaki sauce; the "AB House" burger topped with fontina cheese, caramelized onion and oven-dried tomato; and thyme-seared ahi tuna with chickpeas and basil ratatouille. Even crisp salads hint of fall -- the Aqua blue house salad tops field greens with Granny Smith apples, asparagus, toasted sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and sweet herb dressing. These seasonal dishes will have you declaring your love for autumn in no time!

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

Dine Out For No Kid Hungry with Marlow's Tavern and Aqua blue

Love it when someone has a dinner idea for every night of the week... and adding a way to nourish others in the process ups the yum factor.  Join Americans across the country in dining out in the Dine Out for No Kid Hungry through Saturday, September 24.  More than a thousand restaurants nationwide are participating in Share Our Strength's fundraiser to help alleviate childhood hunger in our nation by 2015.   Here in the metro area, Aqua blue in Roswell and all Marlow's Tavern locations are among the fabulous and friendly restaurants on the 75+ list.  They'll ask guests to donate $1 or more toward the cause.  In return, guests will receive one $5 bounce-back card to use on their next purchase at the restaurant.

Get Ready to Get "Smashed" in Alpharetta

Smashburger's newest Atlanta-area addition is on its way and will be landing in Alpharetta on Wednesday, September 28. The restaurant will open its doors at 5530 Windward Parkway for lunch and dinner to offer sizzling burgers, sandwiches, fries and more. This is the third of 20 plus Atlanta-area Smashburgers that local franchisee Phil Wilkins is slated to open over the next seven years.

Named for the cooking method used to create the perfect burger, Smashburgers are 100-percent—fresh, never frozen, Certified Angus Beef smashed on a flat grill to sear in the juicy flavor. For all Georgia locations, guests can indulge in the Atlanta burger that includes peach BBQ sauce, Wicked® Pimina cheese, grilled jalapenos and vidalia coleslaw all on an egg bun (pictured above). Along with its savory burgers, Smashburger also serves marinated Smashchicken sandwiches, Smashdogs, Smashsalads and Smashsides. Kids of all ages can enjoy Häagen-Dazs shakes and root beer floats, while beer and wine are available for adults. Check out another Atlanta-area location's menu to gear up your taste buds.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year: Ribs & Whiskey is Back at Marlow’s Tavern

It’s that time again!  The Ribs & Whiskey specials you’ve come to know and love are back at Marlow’s Tavern starting tomorrow!  From September 20 through October 24, all eight Marlow’s locations will be offering a spectacularly saucy menu that involves a secret, Maker’s Mark Whiskey sauce!  In addition, there are tasty, rib ticklin’ cocktails to perfectly compliment your meal.  You can view the full menu here.

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

Spice Market, Skylines & Spirits - Oh My!

Relish the pleasant fall temps and admire the Atlanta city skyline at dusk; September is the last month -- and maybe the best month -- to visit the Atlanta Botanical Garden for a Thursday night Cocktails in the Garden. This month's theme is "Skylines & Spirits." Step out to enjoy the crisp, autumn evening air in the company of fabulous food, drinks, and friends on September 22, when Midtown's own Spice Market in the W Atlanta-Midtown provides the complimentary light bites. The “spirits" will be available to purchase at the full cash bar. If you can tear yourself away from the tasty appetizers and tantalizing cocktails, groove into the evening to the sounds of Lethal Rhythms Atlanta DJs. The event is from 6-10 p.m. Admission is free for Garden members; $18.95 for everyone else. Guest passes accepted. Don’t miss one of this year’s last chances to attend Cocktails in the Garden!