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

 

You can tell from her photo she's full of smiles, stories and serious skills for mixing up beverages behind the bar at new Seven Lamps in the Shops Around Lenox. Atlantan Arianne Fielder (@Ariannebar) dubs herself a Southern Cocktail Resurgen, bourbon and American Whiskey aficionado and a "Big Dog Mom." When not mixing it up behind the bar, Arianne tweets about cocktails and her thoughts on current events. 

Appetizing Aperture: Strawberry and Champagne Cupcakes From Little Cake Bakery

Adult or not, anyone can pop a Little Cake Bakery strawberry and champagne cupcake into his or her mouth when the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve. But then, why wait? 

More good eating in 2013

 

 

Over here at MLA we are working hard on some exciting restaurant happenings in 2013. Kevin Gillespie is opening his new restaurant in March in the Glenwood Park area serving great flavors in an intimate atmosphere. Chef Ford Fry, owner of Westside's  JCT. Kitchen & Bar and The Optimist and Oyster Bar at The Optimist and Decatur's No. 246, will add two Buckhead restaurants to his family when he opens King + Duke in the former Nava space in March and another in the old Bluepointe space later this year.  Bantam + Biddy is increasing its family tree as owners Shaun Doty and Lance Gummere open new Chick-a-biddy at Atlantic Station in April. We also can look forward to more delicious tavern fare with another Marlow's Tavern location (maybe two!) coming this year. Meanwhile, seafood lovers will gain one more sweet spot for succulently prepared fresh fish when Bonefish Grill lands another Atlanta-area restaurant. St. Patrick's Day is always a huge party at Fadó Irish Pub & Restaurant - one that spills out onto the street around the pub like a good flow of green beer. And we're thrilled to announce that South City Kitchen Midtown will celebrate its 20^th anniversary in April. One of us over here, ahem, remembers when Crescent Avenue wasn't a very nice street and no one outside the state thought Southern food was anything special. So there's much to celebrate! We're looking forward to another fun year!
 

Ecco Stays on Top of Conservation Goals with Rooftop Garden and Condensation Irrigation

Sophisticated yet casual Ecco in Midtown has always been ahead of the restaurant industry's conservation efforts. Georgia's first dumpster-free restaurant was also the state's first to receive Green Foodservice Alliance (GFA) certification. The Fifth Group Restaurant continues to grow in sustainability and environmental consciousness by adding eight new cedar beds with "cold frame" structures to its rooftop garden, all of which are covered with Agribon protective material. Farmer D Organics custom-built the beds and also installed a new irrigation system with a 250-gallon food-grade tote capable of containing 195 more gallons than the previous rain barrel. All of the water filling the tote is collected from air conditioning condensation and pumped through drip irrigation into the beds. City water and a timer also kick in when needed for optimal moisture. When dining at Ecco be sure to ask what's in season on the roof. Right now, Tuscan kale, broccoli rabe and Southern giant curly mustard are growing for the restaurant's seasonally inspired menu.

Happy Holidays from Melissa Libby & Associates: A Look Back at 2012

Drink a Cup of Cheer with New Winter Cocktails and More in this Week's Dish

Still have no idea what you are going to do for New Year's Eve? Do not fret! There is still time to plan an extravagant evening with Atlanta-area restaurants. Plus, wintertime cocktails are being offered at many restaurants to warm up guests through the chilly weather. There's plenty to keep you busy and more in this week's Dish! 

Baby, It's Cold Outside. Marlow's Tavern New Wintertime Menu Warms the Soul

 

Colder weather usually sneaks into Atlanta with the new year, and Marlow's Tavern is ready with the hot and hearty comfort foods Atlantans crave. Seasonal ingredients in savory dishes lead to highly satisfying dinner fare including: goat cheese French toast served with wild mushrooms; goat cheese "stuffed" turkey burger with sweet and spicy red pepper relish; grilled Prestige Farms chicken paillard with hand-cut pappardelle pasta, asparagus, Roma tomato, caramelized onion, wild mushroom cream and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano; grilled turkey meatloaf made from Golden Legacy organic turkey with shaved Brussels sprouts on the side; and crispy Carolina trout with sautéed spinach, applewood smoked bacon and Pommery mustard cream sauce ($9-$17). Dessert brings out a hot and flakey pecan and apple turnover dolloped with hand-dipped vanilla ice cream ($6). A wintry mix of craft cocktails ($9-$11) features Blackthorn Suppressor with Byrrh aperitif and jasmine liqueur; Blueberry Buck 3.0 with Hanger Blueberry and fresh lime; Classic Martinez of Hayman's Old Tom Gin, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, Leopold Brother's Maraschino and orange bitters; St. George Gin Sour with St. George Botanivore Gin, Rothman & Winter Peach Liqueur, Cardamaro, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, Fee Brothers Aromatic Bitters and club soda; and the Orchard Manhattan apple-y spin on the classic Manhattan using Riverboat Rye Whiskey. Saintsbury Chardonnay, Carneros, 2010 and Left Coast Cellars Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, 2011 are available by the glass or bottle ($12/$50). Bun warmers, Marlow's Tavern definitely has you beat.