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

No Earl of Sandwich, Jeff Mauro is the "Sandwich King" on the Food Network (11 a.m. Sundays EST), and he brings a royal treasure of fast and easy meals to the table. Instead of loafing around the kitchen, Mauro is out and about gathering fodder and proving "you can turn any meal into a sandwich and any sandwich into a delicious meal." His culinary/comedy background translates to a heavy slathering of humor on the side. Brown baggers eat thetweets (@JeffMauro), and there's a lot to "like" on Facebook.

Ping Pong Sundays

All those years of practicing in your best friend's basement has paid off. Now you can show your ping pong paddling skills at No. 246's Sunday tournaments. We hear there is fierce competition from nearby restaurant workers so bring your A game. And bring your thirst too because there's discounted beer and Fernet for players. And you know Chef Drew Belline will whip up something delicious to power your team. Get on the game-day lineup by emailing Marnique Allen at mallen@no.246.

What's New on Pinterest: Watermelon Wow

Seedless watermelons are throwing a kink in the whole summer seed-spitting contest tradition. On the other hand, there's something to be said for biting into a huge hunk of pure melon. Straight up, salad, granita, cocktails, melon balls? We're Pinterested in seeing how you prefer yours.

Something Special Going on at Ray's Restaurants

Looking for memorable meals and sensational specials? Look no further than Ray's Restaurants this month. So, what does August have in store for happy guests? Here’s the scoop:

Whether you’re in downtown or Alpharetta, all three restaurants are offering Wine Wednesday price points of selected wines at $5 a glass and a free cheese board at the bar. 

Ray's on the River and Ray's at Killer Creek also pull a succulent August catch:  1 ¼ lb. live Maine lobster (steamed or broiled) served with sautéed green beans, steamed red potatoes and drawn butter for $24.99.

On Friday, August 17, Ray's on the River is hosting a "Sunset Wine & Cheese" event. Also look for riverside lawn parties on Fridays and Saturdays with one-man bands, an outdoor bar and a grill turning out hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken sandwiches (unless a wedding pre-empts).

Downtown, Ray's in the City pairs a Long Day Lager with its weekly panini special for $15 at lunch and $20 at dinner during August. 

Dine on Five Courses at Share Our Strength's "Give Me Five" Fundraiser This Sunday

The gorgeous Cherokee Town and Country Club in Buckhead is the setting for this year's "Give Me Five" wine-and-dine event to raise funds for Share Our Strength and its mission to alleviate childhood hunger in the U.S. In the datebook for Sunday, August 19, the elegant evening opens with a cocktail reception at 5 p.m. followed by dinner at 6 p.m. East Lake Country Club Chef Michael Deihl is the chef chair for the night's five-course dinner where five talented guests, including Kevin Gillespie of Woodfire Grill, will each prepare a course. Sommelier Andrés Loaiza of Aria is one of the four Atlanta sommeliers who will select wine pairings for each course. Jenn Hobby of Q100's The Bert Show and WSB radio host Scott Slade cap dinner with a full evening of live entertainment and live and silent auctions - which should be pretty tasty since each chef is donating something to the auction lineup. Individual tickets are $275, and tables for 10 are $2,500; purchase online. 

American Spirit Whiskey and Golf is a Recipe for Fun!

Photography by Ben Rose

This Saturday, August 18, the 9^th Annual Buckhead Invitational Golf Tournament tees off at Bobby Jones Municipal Golf Course in Atlanta. The event benefits Answer Atlanta, a local organization that seeks to provide creative solutions to help those less fortunate in our community who have a particularly timely or urgent need. American Spirit Whiskey, an artisanal small batch spirit with ties to Athens, Atlanta and Charleston, S.C., is a tournament sponsor. The ultra-filtered, neutral white whiskey is highly mixable in cocktails and a clearly great sip on the rocks, making it a congenial fit for any occasion with a glass. Are you in? $100 per person/$400 per team of four to play; contact buckheadinvitational@gmail.com.

Shake up your clubhouse by mixing up a "19^th at Augusta" cocktail at home using this recipe from American Spirit Whiskey. We see some tailgating potential here as well!

19^th at Augusta
2 oz. American Spirit Whiskey (ASW)
2.5 oz. sweet tea
.5 oz. fresh lemon juice
Pale ale (Terrapin Rye out of Athens works well)

Combine ASW, tea and lemon in pint glass over ice. Stir and top with beer. Garnish with lemon twist.

Safety Dance All the Way to Atkins Park This Friday

Men Without Hats - The Safety Dance

Billie Jean, drive your little red Corvette to Atkins Park Tavern in Virginia Highland and let's dance! Sweet dreams are made of this as you flashdance back in time during the tavern's "1983 Summer of Love" party on Friday, August 17 beginning at 10 p.m. Dress the part - more than $500 in cash and prizes is up for grabs by 1983 fashionistas. DJ Jeremy Healy spins 80s hits all night long so every breath you take is oh, what a feeling. 

MLA Taste and Tell - Reach for a Peach Before They're All Gone

MLA's Administrative Assistant Shelby had such a hankering for sweet Georgia peaches that she drove two hours south of Atlanta to Dickey Farms in Musella to pick up a few pounds of the tree-fresh fruit. We don't think they had to twist her arm much to get her to try the peach pecan preserves, peach butter, homemade peach ice cream and other peachy-keen treats. Watch her YouTube Taste and Tell and peach out.

Flashdance back in time to "1983 Summer of Love" at Atkins Park Tavern - And Lots More - In This Week's Dish

Watermelon, peaches, beer, sandwiches, ping pong - yep, it's still summer! Find out about this week's best culinary happenings in The Dish. If you're not already receiving the Dish, be sure to sign up on our Facebook page or right here on our blog.

"Rhine" Down at Woodfire Grill This Thursday

This Thursday is your last chance to take advantage of Woodfire Grill's summer wine tasting series. The tastings are going out in German style on August 16 with an entire spectrum of Rieslings, which originated in Germany's Rhine region, that will begin with dry selections, move on to fruity wines and finish with some sweet pucker. You can enjoy the wine tasting at your table or at Woodfire Grill's bar, just make sure to mention you're in for the "Rieslings from Germany" tasting when making a reservation. Call 404-347-9055 to reserve a spot and get wrapped up in Rieslings!