Vidalia Onion Festival Sweetens Your Weekend

 

Yeah, yeah, there are a lot of festivals going on this weekend. But how many of them celebrate our state vegetable? Only one! Head down to the 35^th Annual Vidalia Onion Festival for some good, old-fashioned festival fun in Vidalia. The Food Network's been there - now it's your turn. Count more activities on the schedule than onions in a bushel bag including a carnival (buy unlimited-ride wristband), parade, Civil War re-enactment, Strait Jacket Monster Truck rides, car and motorcycle shows, kazoo band, bike stunts, chainsaw carvers, cornhole tournament and more. Off-site events include a "Movie Under the Stars," rodeo, a gospel sing, onion sales and Sweet Onion Antique Fair, Vidalia Onion Run, arts and craft show, recipe contest and still more. Sweet!

Appetizing Aperture: National Prime Rib Day

Today is National Prime Rib Day! Hold that thought until Sunday when Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar offers its weekly Prime Rib Dinner special -- prime rib with a trio of sauces, your choice of The Wedge, Fleming's or Caesar salad, one side dish and dessert. 

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

As one chews, so must one tweet - with mouth closed. After all, it's the fingers doing the talking when Antoinette Bruno of StarChefs.com tweets (@antoinette_b) live from her tastings. The editor-in-chief of the online magazine is surely up on all of her eating and tweeting etiquette. The magazine offers up bigger helpings.   

Chef Bands Take the Stage for Charity at Eats & Beats on May 7

Ford Fry of JCT. Kitchen & Bar and Joey Riley of Kaleidoscope Bistro and Pub have something in common that you might not expect. We all know they're skilled chefs, but did you know that they're talented musicians as well? Fry's band is called Five Bone Rack and Riley is one third of The Right Way Trio. On Monday, May 7, they'll take the stage and perform with two other chef bands at the Buckhead Theatre for Eats & Beats. Along with great music, you can also expect plenty of tasty treats to go along with those tunes. Sample dishes from top-notch restaurants including Chicken and the Egg, JCT. Kitchen & Bar, Kaleidoscope, No. 246 and Spice Market. Tickets to the 7 - 9:30 p.m. event are $60 for general admission and $125 for VIP (early entry at 6 p.m. and access to private premium bar, wine tastings and additional restaurants). Not only will this be the most fun you've had on a Monday night, you'll also be doing your good deed for the day. The event benefits children of sanctuary workers and Children of Conservation, an organization dedicated to the conservation and protection of endangered species in third world countries through education, habitat preservation and wildlife sanctuary support. 

What Happens When the Chicken Crosses the Road? He Ends Up at The Taste of Marietta!

This week may have been chilly, but Mother Nature changed her mind just in time for the weekend! What better way to enjoy a perfect spring day than strolling around the Marietta Square, sampling delicious eats from local restaurants at Taste of Marietta on Sunday, April 29! You’re sure to find something yummy this year, especially since Chicken and the Egg is participating, along with 70 other town favorites. The festivities will begin at 11 a.m. and end at 7 p.m., and with four entertainment stages, a Sports Corner, a Kids Alley filled with fun games, and numerous shops and museums, there is sure to be something for everyone. Enjoy free admission, and only pay between $.50 - $4.00 for food samples at booths. Concession stands will be set up to purchase drinks and for your convenience, you can park off-site and ride the trolley to the square. For a complete schedule and FAQs, visit the website. You have to leave Rover at home for this one, but take back a tasty sample and I’m sure you’ll be forgiven!

Great Food Awaits, Indulge in Aqua Blue’s “Blue Plates”

If three courses sound great, and you love Aqua Blue – then their “Blue Plate” menu is perfect for you! For only $25 per person, guests can choose one appetizer, entrée and dessert.

Appetizers include calamari, tempura green beans, a handmade sushi roll and traditional Caesar salad. House-made cioppino, hand-battered fish and chips and hardwood-grilled N.Y. strip are filling entrées. Be sure to end the journey on a sweet note by indulging in a dessert.  They revolve around High Road sorbet in fresh seasonal fruits and flavors or the chocolate-y riches of flourless chocolate molten cake with vanilla ice cream or chocolate mousse in a crunchy cookie crust. The “Blue Plate” menu only goes through May 28, when the Roswell restaurant changes the menu again. 

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar Explores Spanish Wines At Wine Dinner On April 27

Spanish winemakers are secretive about their art. Chris Elam, now of Prestige Wine, was fortunate to spend the past 15 years getting to know Spanish winemakers, exploring Spain's vineyards and tasting little-known Spanish wines. He'll share pointers on choosing, appreciating and pairing Spanish wines when he hosts the five-course tapas dinner with wine at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in Dunwoody on Friday, April 27 at 7 p.m. 


Fleming's Chef and Partner Kenneth Bills' menu includes five tapas with four wine pairings:  deep fried rice balls with saffron and serrano ham paired with Mas Fi, Brut Cava, Spain, NV; citrus-marinated seafood and shellfish with Bodegas Naia, Naia Verdejo, Rueda, Spain, 2010; marinated pork and vegetable skewers served with Bodegas Luzon, Luzon Verde Monastrell, Jumilla, Spain, 2010; Andalusian beef stew with Vinas Del Cenit, Venta Mazzaron Tempranillo, Zamora, Spain, 2009; and ending with classic Spanish flan. $85 per person (not including tax and gratuity). For reservations, call 770-698-8112!

Help Kaleidoscope Crawl for a Cure on April 25

Don't run, crawl for a cure this Wednesday in Brookhaven. Cocktails 4 A Cause presents a night of drink and food specials, live music and much-coveted raffle items at the 2nd Annual Dresden Crawl for a Cure on Wednesday, April 25. All event proceeds go to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and its work to fight blood cancers and to help patients and their families. The starting point is Haven, where registration takes place from 5:30 - 8 p.m. Guests set off for Valenza, Verde Taqueria, POUR Bistro and Library Coffee Company, then wind up at Kaleidoscope for the after-crawl party. $20 donation at the door. Can't make it? No worries; you can make a donation online.

From the Bayou to Mexico, Get a Taste of It All at Atkins Park Tavern

This Thursday night's Tequila & Tacos dinner menu at Atkins Park Tavern in Virginia Highland will knock you out of your usual taco and margarita rut. For the evening's special four-course menu, the tavern takes the lowly taco to new realms and pairs each taco type with a unique, refreshing Herradura tequila cocktail.  Dinner starts at 7 p.m. and costs $45 per person (plus tax and gratuity). For reservations, call 404-876-7249.

For those looking for a weekend activity, Atkins Park Smyrna Business Partner and Zac Brown Band Executive Chef Rusty Hamlin is firing up the big pots this weekend and filling them with crawfish, shrimp, potatoes, corn, onions, garlic and mushrooms. Party starts at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 28 and runs on over through Sunday, April 29. A bowl of crawfish and a few brews are mood food for Saturday and Sunday's live music lineup of The Squirrelheads, Soulhound, Patrick Scott , Zack Graddy,  and The Mar-Tans. All proceeds benefit the Georgia Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Team in Training. Saturday tickets are $10 at the door and $5 in advance and include a ticket for Sunday admission. Sunday admission price is $5 per person. Atkins Park Valued Guests may use Valued Guest points to purchase admission for 500 points. Get more info and purchase tickets online.

Patio Parties, Pub Crawls & Much More In This Week's Dish

We've got patio parties, fun benefits, tasty festivals, sweet downloads and much more in this week's Dish! If you're not receiving the Dish every Tuesday morning in your inbox, you can sign up either here on our blog or on our Facebook page.

Dine Out for Life at Aria and Fifth Group Restaurants This Wednesday

This Wednesday, April 25, Open Hand is hosting Dining Out for Life (DOFL), one of the organization's largest fundraising events to help deliver more than 5,500 nutritious meals daily to Atlanta-area residents battling chronic disease and disabilities. Open Hand was founded in 1988 and delivered its 20 millionth meal this past December.

All you have to do is dine out (breakfast, lunch or dinner) at one of the participating restaurants this Wednesday, and 20% or more of your bill will be donated to Open Hand. Some participating eateries that are on the top of our must-visit list include Aria and Fifth Group Restaurants -- Alma Cocina, Ecco, La Tavola Trattoria, The Original El Taco and South City Kitchen Vinings. Find a full list of DOFL participants and make reservations here to help Open Hand serve its next millionth meal.