Sake It to Me: RA Sushi Pours $1 Hot Sake on International Sake Day and Picks Kiwi for Fall Sashimi and Cocktail Pairing

On Monday, October 1, RA Sushi Bar Restaurant in Midtown will be celebrating International Sake Day, the start of sake brewing season! With sake being the ultimate sippable go-with for sushi, you can imagine how huge this special day is for the restaurant. In honor of the day, from 11 a.m. until close, guests can sip $1 hot sake -- $2 off the regular price. Lift your cup and toast "Kanpai!" in Japanese or "Cheers!" in English.

Along with sake-brewing season comes the autumn harvest of apples, pumpkins and fuzzy-skinned kiwifruit. Huh? Yes, the fruit that bares a fresh green color is equally at home on a plate or in a glass at RA Sushi. Their kiwi scallops sashimi plate and Kiwi Kismet cocktail pairing (pictured) for $18 highlights the sweet-tart fruit. On the plate, kiwi befriends premium Hokkaido scallops, peppery arugula, sautéed cashews and orange tobiko vinaigrette. Each sparkly green Kiwi Kismet cocktail amplifies kiwi by muddling then adds Kai Lemongrass Vodka, sweet sparkling sake and fresh lime and pineapple juices. Get fresh with the pairing from October 1 through November 30.

Field of Greens is This Weekend

Meals from the Market at Field of Greens 2011

Held at Whippoorwill Hollow Farm, a 74-acre certified organic farm located 45 minutes east of downtown Atlanta, Field of Greens is a down-on-the-farm food festival. Fun has deep roots this year at the September 30 event, starting with the legendary Chef's Tent featuring 30 chefs from Atlanta- and Athens-area farm-to-table restaurants. Alma Cocina, Bantam + Biddy, Chicken and the Egg, Ecco, JCT. Kitchen & Bar and Woodfire Grill will all be under the big top with samples from 12:30-3:30 p.m. (or until the food runs out). There's lots more to see and do:  an interactive Kids Village, live music, a festivalmarket, exhibits, craft demonstrations, silent auction, trails to hike, and the "Meals from the Market" where you can chat with local farmers about what they're growing and pick up simple recipes. Festival hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; see the complete schedule for event times. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the gate and include unlimited tastings from the Chef's Tent. Children 12 and under enter for free. Rain or shine, but sorry Fido, not this time.

It’s Follow Friday: Meet Our Tweep of the Week @Gina_Hamadey

  

We like to travel vicariously. Food & Wine Travel Editor Gina Hamadey’s tweets take us all over the map from Brooklyn to Aspen to Palm Springs and beyond, sharing fun bites and tempting nibbles of great eats she discovers in each destination. No need to pack a suitcase – just follow Gina!

Here's a Book to Devour this Fall - "Raising the Bar: The Future of Fine Chocolate"

  

We give elegant boxes of artisan chocolate as love tokens. Simple chocolate kisses heal boo-boos. And please pass another square of that extra-dark antioxidant-laden cacao bar. A world without chocolate would be bland indeed, yet the best-tasting chocolates in the world are facing extinction. From bean to bonbon, farmers, scientists, manufacturers and artisans all have a stake in "the bar." 

A new book, "Raising the Bar: The Future of Fine Chocolate," releases October 1 in hardcover and eBook formats (Wilmor Publishing Corporation; October 2012; Hardcover; $19.95; eBook; $9.95; ISBN: 978-0-9691921-2-1 (Print); 978-0-9691921-3-8 (eBook).

Co-authors Pam Williams and Jim Eber take readers on a fascinating global journey with stops to interview some of the most important people in the chocolate business. A master chocolatier herself, Williams is founder of Ecole Chocolate Professional School of Chocolate Arts. Bedside, kitchen, coffee table, gift - this "bar" is at the top of our must-consume list. Pre-order a copy now on Amazon.

What's New on Pinterest: Pumped about Pumpkin

pumpkin bread recipe | a few of my favorite things - atlanta

Jackie O'Lantern and Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater all turn to our Pinterest board for recipes, menu finds and ideas. You'd be out of your gourd not to carve out some time to do likewise.

Wine Tasting and "A Vintage Affair" with Alon's

On Thursday, September 27, Frederick Miller, Alon's Bakery and Market's new wine director (joining Alon's from Bone's), will host Francisco Carrau of Uruguay's Carrau wineries for a wine tasting with light fare at the Dunwoody location from 7-8 p.m. $20 per person. You can register online for the event. Miller will be in the Dunwoody store every Tuesday through Saturday with weekly wine tastings and in-store samplings each day.

Speaking of vintages, Alon's is a donating sponsor for the Community Assistance Center's "A Vintage Affair" on September 29. The bakery's scrumptious Moroccan chicken sandwich will be part of the spread of foods from local restaurants that gala guests will enjoy. For the past 25 years, the Community Assistance Center (formerly known as the Community Action Center) has served those in need in the Sandy Springs and Dunwoody areas and is supported by 28 congregations of all faiths.

Ormsby's Bar Tab is Up For Grabs in Hairy Man Contest

 

Are you the hairiest of them all? Prove it and enter the Hairy Man Contest to win a $300 credit at Ormsby's. Today's the last day to submit a pic of your facial follicles to win, so give it one last comb, apply a little wax and don't forget to smile! Snap an Instagram pic of your stache and make sure to include #UrbanHoedown and #YourName in the caption, plus the hashtag that best defines your beard or mustache: #MostUnruly, #MostGravityDefying or #MostEpic. Not an Instagram-er? Enter by posting the picture on Facebook. Each title winner earns a $300 credit at Ormsby's, guaranteed to make you the most popular mustachioed man at the bar. The winners will be announced at the Urban Hoedown at Riverview Landing on September 28, and you must be present to win. 

Throw in a Dollar for Special Olympics Georgia at Marlow's Tavern

   

Pocket change can make a big change in the life of a Special Olympics Georgia athlete. That's why all nine Atlanta-area Marlow's Tavern locations are inviting guests to add a dollar to their tab as a donation to Special Olympics Georgia throughout the entire month of October.

Head to the Farm with ATL Restaurants for Field of Greens Food Festival and More in this Week's Dish

Whether you are a football fanatic or want to win prizes for your fabulous facial hair, there is an event for everyone to attend in this week's Dish!  

Visit Both Atkins Park Tavern Locations for a Football Frenzy!

This NFL season, join Atkins Park Tavern Virginia Highland for Monday Night Football viewing and brewing. Throw back some $3.50 Fu Manbrew pints while keeping an eye on the big screen game views. You can also enter to win a VIP tour package for four to the new Monday Night Brewery.

Intercept the “Grid Iron Eats” menu at the Virginia Highland location for chewing with viewing on Sundays from 3-11:30 p.m. and on Monday nights from 5:30 p.m.-12 a.m. Strong arm some sweet chili-glazed smoked pork spareribs with fries (1/2 rack $12, full rack $20), smoked pork and roasted poblano quesadilla ($9), mushroom and meatball sliders with provolone and marinara ($6), pulled chicken taquitos with avocado salsa ($9) or green chili cheese fries with shredded beef brisket ($10). On Monday nights, add Fu Manbrew tempura-fried veggies with sesame citrus ponzu ($8) to the fuel food list.

Also, don't miss out on Pigapalooza as it plows through Atkins Park Tavern Smyrna this weekend. The LSU Tigers barrel down the field on Saturday, September 29 and the New Orleans Saints march toward the goal on Sunday, September 30. Way “two” much fun starting at 2 p.m. each day:  two pigs, $2 beer and two football teams. Bring a buddy and make it a twosome.

Italian Essentials and Local Ingredients for Phenomenal Napoletana Pizzas in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward

When making true Napoletana-style pizzas, dough and sauce are key factors. Ammazza owners, the brothers Connerty, are ready and are importing essential ingredients such as "00" flour from Italy's Campania region. For meat and produce toppings, sustainable and local are best for a short commute from field through a wood-fired oven to hand-tossed heaven at 591 Edgewood Avenue.

Ammazza's Italian street food-inspired dishes go beyond 16-inch pizzas ($19-$22) to antipasto selections including house-made meatballs, insalata di limone and a classic meat and cheese board ($6-$10). Desserts ($3-$6) include cannolis, citrus-ricotta cream-filled sfogliatelle, flourless chocolate Torta Caprese and little dough balls of pasta fritta con canella. Pizza examples are Ammazzare with artisan Italian sausage, roasted peppers, Vidalia onion, fresh basil, tomato and house mozzarella; Terra topped with house mozzarella, wild mushrooms, goat cheese and truffle oil; prosciutto with roasted artichokes, fresh basil and house mozzarella; and Inferno with spicy sopressata, house mozzarella, tomatoes and Calabria peppers.

Fast and casual, Ammazza also hosts a full-service bar, bottled and draft beers, plus house-made limoncellos and Sprecher's gourmet sodas on tap.  Rustic warehouse digs, reclaimed wood and a skylight set the backdrop for small tables and two 16-foot communal tables big enough for the whole crowd. Open at 5 p.m. nightly for dinner and staying open through midnight Sunday - Thursday and 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Plenty of parking in adjacent lot.