Rise Up! Visit Shaun Doty at 2View During the Falcons-Giants Game

Photo Credit: Angie Mosier

Bird watchers, this is your game! The Atlanta Falcons sharpen their talons on the New York Giants at this Sunday's game in the Georgia Dome at 1 p.m. Upstairs in 2View Restaurant, Chef Shaun Doty fuels your afternoon with his Bantam + Biddy wings recipe. Stay abreast of field action via wall-flanking screens at the restaurant overlooking the east end zone at Gate F, executive concourse.

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

Now, 20-something eater/writer/Tweeter/blogger Grace Yu (@graceyu) puts it right out there exclaiming "My stupid thoughts are mine & mine alone."  A disclaimer like that only makes one want to read more so take a lap on the laptop and check out her blog. 

What's New on Pinterest: Holiday Hankerings

Photo: Peppermint Sugar Cookies by Bakerella

That awesome moment when you're looking for a fast and fresh holiday idea and then you spy - strawberry Santas. How berry merry and adorable they'll be, befriending Christmas tree cupcakes and peppermint coffee toddies. 

Not wanting to be s-elfish, we're glad to re-gift these pins for you on our Pinterest board.

Appetizing Aperture: Fantastic Sweets at No. 246

Those visions of sugarplums are just visions. No. 246 has the real sweets from Creative Director Taria Camerino -- a new dessert menu offering smaller pastries to share and pair with cocktails. Pair flourless chocolate cake with a Harvey Darko ($4 dessert/$7 cocktail); pistachio cannoncini with Biscotti Spumanti ($4/$7); biscotto with the "8 1/2" of house-made espresso liquor, spiced turbinado syrup and whipped cream ($4/$6). Weekends, drool over the new pastry and candy window case filled with sugared and raisin brioche, apple tarts, cranberry clafoutis, chocolate black pepper sable, pasticciotto, donuts and more scrumptious baked goods. 

Big White Oak Pastures Sale Starts Today

Photo by Angie Mosier

You're going to want to stock up with this deal on pasture-raised livestock and poultry from White Oak Pastures. All of us at MLA are planning to go in together to place an order and share the shipping! This is a great way to enjoy healthier meals for the holidays and into the new year at a reduced price. Check out the December sale that starts today and goes until the meat runs out, which might be sooner than you think. Let us know if you want to join in with our order!

Alpharetta Restaurant Ray's on the Creek Gets a Facelift

The Ray's restaurant in Alpharetta is undergoing an exciting transformation, changing both its name and atmosphere. The restaurant has been renamed Ray's on the Creek and is getting a new look to go along with it. 
The coastal-inspired decor and revamped bar are paired with a new menu to welcome guests for lunch, dinner and drinks. The new dinner menu features shareable dishes and options under $30 while the lunch menu highlights sandwiches and entrees under $20. The recipes are inspired from the chefs of all three Ray's restaurants. Guests will be happy to see several of their favorite entrees on the menu in addition to the new features.
Ray's Founder Raymond Schoenbaum says the restaurant's lively personality, congenial attitude and reasonably priced menus will keep Ray's on the Creek on the often-frequented "A" list for those in Alpharetta and beyond.

Dear Santa: Our MLA Holiday Wish List

Dearest Santa,

Another year has come and gone and we have been extra good here at MLA this year! We hope you enjoy the cookies we’ll leave for you (and carrots for Rudolph, natch) and that you can honor our most humble of requests this holiday season.

Gretchen Howard, Media Relations, is okay with finding a hardboiled egg in the toe of her stocking as long as the next item up is the Williams-Sonoma 3-in-1 egg slicer. Gretchen is tired of trying to grip slippery eggs when slicing them up for egg salad, and this easy-to-clean gadget would do an egg-cellent job.

Intern Alexa Lampasona pines for a sturdy seven-quart Cuisinart stand mixer to be her strong arm for heavy duty mixing, beating, whipping and kneading. Santa helper hint - visit The Cook's Warehouse or order online.

Nicole Hunnicutt, Client Services, beams over Rewined candles, which emit clean-burning yet intoxicating wafts of Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, champagne and other wine varietals. The Charleston, SC-based company rescues already enjoyed wine bottles, cuts them and hand pours 11 ounces of natural soy candle wax into each bottle bottom for 60-80 hours of light.

Atlanta native and MLA Administrative Assistant Shelby Remer thinks AHeirloom's Georgia-shaped cutting board would look sharp in her kitchen and be useful for cutting and serving. State series boards are crafted of renewable bamboo and can be personalized with a heart cutout in the location of your hometown or favorite place.

Social Media Director Mandy Betts is planning ahead for the arrival of Baby Betts in 2013. She envisions pureeing and chopping veggies from her garden to make wholesome baby food. Catching her eye, a certain Cuisinart food processor at The Cook's Warehouse.

Always looking for ways to stir-up kitchen excitement (and not burn the soup), MLA Founder Melissa Libby has her eye on a self-stirring saucepan. Let's hope she gets it so she's not up all night scraping the bottom of the pan after Christmas dinner.

When life's a circus, only a commercial-caliber countertop popcorn popper will suffice. Media Relations Manager Amy Geismar has found one that can produce six quarts of popcorn every three minutes and is clad with aluminum for easy cleanup. Mental note to see if she gets it before bowl game time.

Media Relations Director Suong Nguyen would love a keepsake wooden recipe box to hold her treasured recipe cards - like this one at Honey Bee Invites. HBI also personalizes and offers a way to print recipe cards.

Client Services Manager Erica Goss hankers to surround herself with eye candy as found in the collection of food graphics posters at BKLYN Larder. Her heart is melting for the gelato poster, and she hopes someone will scoop one up for her.

Client Services Manager Tuan Huynh caught a glimpse of "wildly strong" YETI Coolers, touted "for people who actually roast chestnuts over an open fire" and knew he wanted one to chill and protect his craft beers. Only the coolest for our guy Tuan, so we'll be sure to ask for the free gift pack with purchase.

Come see us anytime you need a break from the North Pole weather, Santa! And thanks from all of us!

Love,

MLA

Celebrate Taco Tuesdays at Uncle Julio's in Buckhead

For a limited time, Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Cuisine in Buckhead is offering beef or chicken tacos (crispy or soft) for $1 all day on Tuesdays. Dine in only and available only at the Peachtree Road location. Excludes grilled fajita, carnita, fish and brisket tacos. Such a deal, you might as well have some sangria or a margarita with your meal!

Park the Sleigh at ATL Restaurants for Holiday Meals and Festivities and More in this Week's Dish

This Christmas, the MLA staff is wishing and hoping for Santa to bring them all things culinary--from a Cuisinart stand mixer to a self-stirring saucepan. Whether or not the gift is sitting under the tree on Christmas Day, everyone will have a place to gather for a delicious chef-driven holiday meal. There's plenty to devour and more in this week's Dish!

Better than Santa in the Kitchen - Chefs in Restaurants for Your Holiday Dinners and Parties

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are drawing near, and Atlanta's best restaurants are ready with options, whether you're looking for a place to carry out for a home gathering or an elegant dinner out. Here is a list of restaurants with holiday happenings: Roswell dwellers can gather at Aqua blue for their Christmas Eve dinner. From 4-9 p.m. on December 24, a special three-course menu will be offered at $29 per person in addition to the full à la carte menu. The special menu includes the Aqua blue daily soup, 12 oz. rib-eye with horseradish sauce and house-made warm chocolate cake. For reservations, call 770-643-8886. Atkins Park in Virginia Highland and Atkins Park in Smyrna are open on Christmas Day, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Virginia Highland location and 5 p.m. at Smyrna. At Atkins Park Virginia Highland, dinner is priced at $22 for adults, $15 for young adults and $8 for children under 10 years old. The main course boasts Big Green Egg smoked turkey breast, braised pork shoulder with roasted root vegetables, green bean casserole, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, cranberry Gran Marnier compote and sweet potato biscuits. Save room for pumpkin cheesecake and Southern pecan pie for dessert. Dinner at Atkins Park Smyrna costs $20 for adults, $15 for young adults and $8 for children under 10 years old.  The meal starts off with pimento cheese, deviled eggs and pickled beets. Main courses include deep-fried Creole turkey breast and Dr. Pepper spiral-glazed ham along with squash casserole with cracker topping, herbed bread stuffing, sweet potato soufflé with streusel topping, southern-style green beans, cranberry orange relish and pull-apart rolls. Dessert tops off the meal with a pumpkin and mascarpone cheese roll. Reservations: Virginia Highland, 404-876-7249. Smyrna, 770-435-1887. The holiday-hurried can pick up Bantam +Biddy's family meals. For $42, three to five family members or friends can take home a whole rotisserie chicken, meatloaf or herb-roasted pork loin, served with a family-sized organic green salad, jalapeño cheddar bread (gluten-free bread upon request), choice of dressing, three family-sized sides and a half-gallon of fresh brewed tea. Family meals are take-out only; 30 minutes notice required. Phone in your order to 404-907-3469 and pick it up curb-side. Host an easy "down home" Christmas dinner by ordering the whole feast from Buckhead Barbecue Company. Offering selections for any size party, the restaurant is cooking classics such as hickory honey and cracked pepper smoked turkey, apple-brandy and brown sugar smoked ham and all-natural Black Angus brisket. Sides and desserts feed between 12 to 15 people and include squash casserole, cornbread dressing, sweet potato soufflé and macaroni and cheese sides and desserts of the Buckhead cobbler (peach, apple, blueberry, blackberry and chocolate) or a traditional pumpkin pie. They're taking holiday meal orders until 12 p.m. on Saturday, December 22. Stop in or call 404-792-9388 On Christmas Eve, Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub turns two. Celebrate with their special three-course menu for $20.12 in addition to the regular menu. Reservations optional. Closed Christmas Day. Reservations: 404-474-9600. Little Cake Bakery in Buckhead has holiday cupcakes galore! Eggnog, peppermint, German chocolate and Black Forest cherry flavors are available for order and pick up before Santa arrives. For more information or to place orders, call 404-841-8856. Ray's Restaurants offers diners a warm place to gather this holiday season. Ray's on the Creek in Alpharetta is open from 4-9 p.m. on Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day. Reservations: 770-649-0064. Ray's on the River is open from 5-9 p.m. on Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day. Reservations: 770-955-1187. Ray's in the City is not open on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. On December 24, South City Kitchen Midtown is open for a three-course prix fixe Christmas Eve feast priced at $42 for adults and $21 for children under 12. Each guest can choose one appetizer, entrée and dessert. Some menu options include fried green tomatoes with goat cheese and sweet pepper coulis, smoke-roasted filet of beef with celery root potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts and truffle jus, and Southern chocolate pecan pie. Reservations: 404-873-7358. For easy holiday meals, call on Market Street Café or Bistro 191 to cater anything from breakfast and lunch gatherings to fine dining affairs. As a bonus, guests booking a catered event for 10 or more people will receive a complimentary $10 Market Street Café gift card. Place pre-orders for take-home treats, such as holiday breads and pies. To schedule a catered event or for pre-orders, call Market Street Café at 404-816-4911 and Bistro 191 at 404-233-0500.