Appetizing Aperture

Lobster. Butter. Cream. Whole baked lobster, a specialty at Cotton Calf Kitchen, epitomizes luxury on a plate. Claw your way out of the city to the peaceful streets of Braselton for this market-priced catch. 

Kevin Gillespie Rousts Sleepyheads Out of Bed on CBS This Morning: Saturday on February 20

Rise and shine to chef Kevin Gillespie on CBS This Morning: Saturday on February 20. The feisty Southern chef/owner of Gunshow in Glenwood Park and Revival in Decatur pays tribute to the loves of his life -- Southern cuisine and awesome pork -- on the 9 a.m. show. Stars of his segment include Coca-Cola glazed pork shoulder, cabbage dumplings with country sausage, overnight grits with tomato-braised greens, glazed root vegetables, banoffee trifle with candied bacon and a boozy peach party liquor beverage. Put a fork under the pillow and get ready. They’ll be no sleeping through all these yums!  

Ormsby’s Weekend Brunch -- Less Taxing, More Relaxing

Only two days in a weekend. Which will define it, crochet, croquet or croquette? No brainer. Ormsby’s salmon croquette Benedict with poached eggs, wilted spinach, hollandaise, English muffin and chipotle cheddar grits ($14) is the obvious choice. Find it on the Westside restaurant’s finely honed weekend brunch menu, available from noon-3 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. Rather than overwhelm valuable weekend time wading through a voluminous menu, Ormsby’s whittles the list down to well-mastered favorites: a cheddar jalapeño biscuit hugging fried chicken, scrambled eggs, more cheddar and honey alongside grits, bacon or potato hash ($10); chicken and waffles uniting Southern-fried chicken strips and Belgian or red velvet waffles with chipotle syrup, whipped butter and two eggs ($10); raisin challah French toast ($10); classic corned beef and hash with piping-hot braised corned beef, steamed cabbage, potato hash and a sunny side up egg ($12); and shrimp and grits sporting roasted red peppers, caramelized onions and cream sherry, for smaller or larger appetites ($12/$16). Similarly, spend less time poring over a lengthy cocktail list and get to the point of enjoying one of the four high-powered selections -- Ormsby’s yellow bloody mary ($10), the Monkey Mosa ($8), blackberry ginger bourbon iced tea ($9) or the classic Champagne cocktail ($9). Less time making taxing decisions opens up more time for relaxing before tackling whatever else the weekend holds.

Award-Winning Mississippi Chef Vishwesh Bhatt Zeroes in on Gunshow “Hired Guns” March 13 and 14

Gunshow’s popular “Hired Guns” series is already one chef into its third year and continuing along a tantalizing trajectory with the guest appearance of chef Vishwesh Bhatt of City Grocery Restaurant Group in Oxford, Mississippi on Sunday, March 13 and Monday, March 14. The Gujarat, India native, known for connecting Southern, French bistro and South Asian foodways, serves as corporate chef of City Grocery Restaurant Group (City Grocery, Snackbar, Big Bad Breakfast, Main Event Catering and Lamar Lounge). A quick glance through Bhatt’s viewfinder reveals his path from a humble start as City Grocery Restaurant Group line cook in 1997 to hitting marks as catering chef, opening Snackbar in 2009 and earning a People’s Best New Chef nomination from Food & Wine in 2011 and a James Beard Awards finalist slot for Best Chef: South in 2014 and 2015. Gunshow’s kitchen is always abuzz with energy, and the high-caliber combination of Bhatt, chef Kevin Gillespie, Gunshow executive chef Joey Ward and the rest of the “kitchen dudes” will only ratchet up the action -- to the delight of diners experiencing the restaurant’s unique service style. To lock onto one of the limited number of tickets available for the evening, visit Xorbia. The cost is $95 per person (not including drinks, tax and gratuity). Looking forward, the remaining 2016 “Hired Guns” lineup includes Brian Baxter from HUSK in Nashville, Tennessee, over May 22-23; Kenny Gilbert of Gilbert's Underground Kitchen in Fernandina Beach, Florida, over June 12-13; Brooke Williamson of Hudson House in Redondo Beach, California, over September 11-12; and Vivian Howard of Chef & the Farmer in Kinston, North Carolina, over October 16-17. For more information about Gunshow in Glenwood Park, visit the website or call 404-380-1886.

Slide Over, TED. Nosh Talks Sets Table for Atlanta Dining Industry Networking on March 7

Fresh. Meet. The thousands who make up Atlanta’s restaurant industry family hunger for fresh networking options to celebrate successes and swap scoop on trends. Food and beverage industry veteran Karen Pagano is cognizant of their conversational cravings -- that’s why she’s launching a new by-the-industry and for-the-industry networking organization dubbed Nosh Talks. “Booze Schmooze” pops the top on Nosh Talk’s series of regularly scheduled socials and taps Monday Night Brewing (670 Trabert Ave. NW in Atlanta) to host the 2-5 p.m. event on Monday, March 7. Light bites and sips from Monday Night Brewing’s signature suds lineup whet appetites for a beverage-centric panel discussion about the creative craft cocktail and burgeoning local beverage industry. Moderated by local liquor licensing attorney Dan Plevak, the panel features Aria’s Andrés Loaiza, The Painted Pin’s Trip Sandifer, Monday Night Brewing’s Jonathan Baker and Charlie Thompson from American Spirit Whiskey. Buy tickets online through Eventbrite: $10 for students, $20 for industry members and $40 for non-industry guests. Nosh Talks strives to be a mechanism for mentoring and giving back to Atlanta’s restaurant community. As Pagano says, “Our city is focused on giving, not receiving, and that sets us apart.” For more information and to discover ways to get involved, go to noshtalks.com or follow Nosh Talks on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Bayou ‘n Bourbon Parades Big Easy Eats, Sips, a Trip and Prizes through Marlow’s Tavern February 16-March 29

Mardi Gras blew through NOLA last week and is settling down in Marlow’s Tavern for a Bayou ‘n Bourbon blowout going on February 16-March 29. Did we say settling down? Faux pas. Partying up is more like it -- and “parish” the thought of missing out on a lunch or dinner feast on Marlow’s fine mess of New Orleans dishes and “Mo’ Betta Drinks.” Joining the krewe of old friends like Roasted Chicken and Shrimp Gumbo, Daily Flatbread from the Bayou, Deconstructed Jambalaya and the highly popular Honey-Bourbon Bread Pudding are

• Bayou Lump Crab Dip - Creole-spiced lump crab, andouille, spicy mustard, Asiago, Parmesan crust and toasty French baguette ($9)         

• N’awlins-Style Po’boy - fiery spiced red fish, apple-cabbage slaw, shredded lettuce, Roma tomato and Creole rémoulade on toasted baguette ($15)                                           

• “The Big Easy” Muffaletta  - imported mortadella, Genoa salami, spicy capicola, GG’s secret recipe olive salad, melting provolone on pressed ciabatta bread ($12.50)                                       

• Sweet Bourbon St. Rib-eye - blackened Jack Daniel’s Honey-blazed rib-eye seasoned with locally made GG’s Fine Food creole seasoning, jumbo asparagus and a creamy crawfish pie ($26)

Marlow’s “Mo’ Betta Drinks” and ice-cold NOLA beers hit the spot, even if “Where y’at?” is ATL instead of Bourbon Street.
 

• “Pat’s” Marlow’s Hurricane – a New Orleans tradition jazzes Pat O’Brien’s secret recipe with Bacardi light rum, fresh orange juice and a floater of Bacardi. ($9)

• Bourbon Rum Punch – Old Forester, Meyer’s Dark Rum, vanilla, cream and nutmeg ($8.50)

• Bourbon Street Lemonade – house-made New Orleans original, Southern Comfort, lemonade, kiss of mint, fresh lemon and lime and a dash of simple syrup ($9.50)

• Sokol Blosser Evolution, Oregon 16th Edition – unique blend of nine different white grapes, produced and bottled in Oregon with hand-selected Oregon, Washington and California fruit, bright straw, exotic tropical citrus, hints of spicy apple with a lush, crisp, bright finish ($11/$44)

• ABITA Turbodog-Draught – Turbodog dark brown ale brewed with pale, caramel, chocolate malts and Willamette hops, rich flavors. ABV: 5.6 ($6.50)

• ABITA Wrought Iron IPA-Bottle - Abita Wrought Iron IPA is forged with intensity of Apollo, Equinox and Mosaic hops, perfect for a night on the bayou. ABV: 6.9 ($6)

At the end of Bayou ‘n Bourbon, one lucky country music fan and a guest will be Baton Rouge-bound for the Bayou Country Superfest thanks to Marlow’s partnership with radio station94.9 FM The Bull. Enter to win this bit of lagniappe on the station’s website. Fais do-do over to the restaurant'sFacebook page between February 19 and March 17 and enter contact information for a chance to win a drawing for a dinner for two ($50 value) or dinner for four ($100 value). And, even if you missed out on beads or finding the king cake baby during Mardi Gras, you might taste sweet victory by Instagramming your Bayou ‘n Bourbon experience with the tag @marlowstavern. Regrammed entries win a complimentary Honey-Bourbon Bread Pudding!

What's New on Pinterest

Does the sparkle in her glass match the sparkle in her eyes? Follow some advice from tree-huggers, skip the paper card and save a tree by swizzling Sweet Sips to Love. Embrace libations bearing romantic names such as Sweetie martinis, Love Potion, Cupid’s Pink Arrow, Hugs & Kisses, Hearts Afire and Passion. For the littlest princess, a pink cupid float with soda, ice cream and a red licorice straw is a royal Valentine’s treat.

#Foodgram

Chocolate purists, this bar’s for you. Cacao Atlanta shows off the uncompromising standards of excellence in its bean-to-bar evolved craft chocolates. Don’t hold back.