Natalie Migliarini lights up this toasting season with nice and naughty cocktails that entice you to raise a glass of something bubbly besides champagne on New Year's Eve. Bar none, this lover of all occasions that begin or end with beautiful cocktailsfills a colorful album on Instagram. Recipes on her Beautiful Booze website.
The bison, a strong American icon and symbol of Big Sky Country, thunders across the menu at Ted's Montana Grill. Yet, like any rancher, Ted's has a sweet side. Ted's fresh-baked cookies -- snickerdoodles, oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip or double chocolate -- may cause a stampede at your table. Order up a herd ($2 each) to pal with coffee or an adult shake or sidesaddle your pick with Häagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream ($6).
Downtown Atlanta boasts a smokin' hot new lunch, dinner and drinks destination this week. Twin Smokers BBQ opens Saturday, December 27 at 300 Marietta Street (a few doors down from Der Biergarten) in the Luckie Marietta District. The newest member of the Legacy Restaurant Partners family, the Twin Smokers BBQ opening comes as Legacy marks 20 years of serving the downtown area. Football fans, Twin Smokers BBQ is only a gridiron length away from the newly built College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-fil-A Fan Experience. Legacy corporate chef Chris Blobaum's menu of smoked meats, fresh sides, craft beer and strong cocktails will please 'cue connoisseurs, no matter where they call home. Blobaum's culinary team traversed the U.S. on a reconnaissance mission to uncover the nation's best barbecue. They brought back their favorite styles from Texas, the Carolinas, Kansas City and Memphis to connect with signature rubs and a touch of Georgia flair and flavor. Southern-style barbecue, hickory-smoked chicken and pork, and Texas-style mesquite-smoked beef brisket start with locally sourced meats. Smoky meats love smoky spirits and cold brews, hence Twin Smokers commands an extensive bourbon and beer program. What's in a name? "Twin Smokers" refers to the restaurant's two custom, fire engine-red Oyler 700 smokers -- one for chicken and pork and one for beef. These smokers are designed to strengthen the individual flavors of each meat, especially when stoked with mesquite, hickory, white oak or post oak from the restaurant's "wood library." True 'cue lovers will want to check out Twin Smoker's BBQ Club for fired up perks.
Interesting how seasonal eating complements our hankerings. Winter's cold spells send us seeking foods entrenched with depth and flavors that warm souls and bellies yet light enough to entice a brisk walk rather than entering hibernation mode. Marlow's Tavern is winter ready, showcasing seasonal ingredients in revamped classics and new menu items. The crispy chicken stack, long a favorite, now snuggles alongside Parmesan-barley risotto with caramelized mirepoix, seared wild mushrooms, sautéed spinach and roasted thyme gravy. Beef eaters will rave over the melt-in-your-mouth tenderness of the crispy short rib with jalapeño and corn grits, sautéed kale and red wine demi reduction; and the grilled "center cut" filet with roasted fingerling potato, seared butternut squash and a red wine shallot reduction. Cold seas yield more riches for this time of year: pan-seared snapper with celeriac purée, asparagus, tomato fondue and parslied olive oil; and Marlow's popular lump crabcake, served with baby arugula, grapefruit, pickled onion, fresh avocado and jalapeño to heat up your palate. Sweet and zesty citrus shines in the new lemon olive oil cake -- a moist, spongy cake topped with fresh grapefruit, vanilla syrup and candied orange. Rumor has it that an old family recipe inspired this slice of sunny Italy on a plate. Iffy that Santa's leaving a Cancun escape in your stocking? Who cares! Get away to your neighborhood Marlow's Tavern where the glad-to-see-you vibe, a new menu to explore and a full bar shaking up tricky drinks warm your heart, and you won't have to try on swimsuits in winter.
The tree has been decorated, the stockings hung and the presents wrapped. After spending so much time getting ready for the big day, the last thing we want to do is pull out all of the pots and pans and spend hours cooking instead of enjoying the festivities. That's why we're heading out this Christmas and letting some of Atlanta's best restaurants handle the feast for us. Check our blog post for a roundup of all of the best places to spend Christmas, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. While you have your calendars out, be sure to clear December 27 for a chance to try Twin Smokers BBQ for the very first time. The new restaurant from Legacy Restaurant Partners brings the best barbecue styles from Texas, the Carolinas, Kansas City and Memphis right to the heart of the Luckie Marietta District. All that and more in this week's Dish!
Christmas Cravings run the gamut from party food to breakfast dishes to gifts for Merry Christmas wishes. Our Pinterest board is decked out with how to stack tomatoes, basil and cheese into caprese appetizers, gift squat jars of cinnamon honey butter, arrange cheese, crackers and sausages into a Christmas tree appetizer and shape a protein-filled crescent roll breakfast ring for brunches or breakfast. For fun, stick and dip Oreos to make snowman pops. We're craving gifts, too, and are not shy about posting pics of picks!
