Hop into Atlanta Restaurants and Honor Easter over Dining Specials

Chocolate bunnies, colorful baskets and egg hunts abound announcing the Easter holiday is approaching faster than Peter Cottontail can bounce down the bunny trail. Atlanta restaurants are marking the Sunday, March 27 holiday with bountiful brunches, delicious dinners and “eggstra”-ordinary events. Reservations? Better hop to it!

Intown
Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland hosts Easter Sunday brunch along with dinner specials later in the evening. Call 404-876-7249 for reservations.

The Culinary Club at Bellina Alimentari in Ponce City Market hosts an Italian seafood dinner table -- think fish carpaccio and squid ink spaghetti with shrimp and shellfish -- on Wednesday, March 23 from 7-9 p.m. The three-course meal accompanied by three wines is $65 per person. Bellina's Market has Easter baskets with sea salt chocolate, orange and lemon chocolate-coated Dragées, apricots in syrup, honey and almond brittle and vanilla black tea for $32 each, as well as a decadent candy collection. Make reservations for the seafood dinner by calling 404-330-9933.

HOBNOB in Midtown features brunch from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., including bottomless mimosas for $16.95. Dinnertime brings an Easter dinner special: ham, melted cheddar, grilled pineapple wheel and cabernet gravy all on brioche bread with HOBNOB fries for only $13.95. Reservations: 404-968-2288.

Downtown, join Ray's in the City for an Easter brunch buffet from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.; $37.95 per adult and $18.95 for children 5-10. The regular dinner menu is served 5-8 p.m. Call 404-524-9224 for reservations.

Gather around the table at Revival for an all-day Southern buffet from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. The feast -- $39 for adults, $12 for children -- features Easter favorites like lamb, ham and fried chicken in addition to seasonal trimmings and a dessert table. Call 470-225-6770.

The Southern Gentleman, located in The Shops Buckhead Atlanta, hosts brunch from 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. The regular à la carte dinner menu is featured alongside Easter holiday chef specials from 4-7:30 p.m. Reservations: 404-939-9845.

Sublime Doughnuts one-ups hot cross buns with its own hot cross bun doughnut for $2.25. Grab the cinnamon currant glazed doughnut between Friday, March 25 and Sunday, March 27.

North Fulton
Roswell favorite Aqua blue hosts an Easter brunch buffet from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. featuring carving stations, made-to-order omelets, blue ribbon sushi, desserts and more for $34.95 for adults and $9.95 for children under 12. Bottomless mimosas and bloody marys are only $15. Call 770-643-8886 for reservations.

In historic Crabapple, Easter Sunday brunch blooms at Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails. Executive chef Derek Dollar presents a luxurious three-course, prix-fixe brunch menu from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. featuring items such as sticky toffee pecan beignets, stout beer-braised lamb and fudgy brownie mason jar. Brunch is $32 for adults and $16 for children 12 and younger. A kids menu also is available. Make reservations by calling 770-817-0161.

Known for its award-winning Easter buffet, Ray’s on the River in Sandy Springs (770-955-1187) satisfies holiday guests of all ages from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. $45.95 for adults and $22.95 for children 5-10. Ray’s at Killer Creek (770-649-0064) is providing a buffet for Alpharetta diners from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and is serving its à la carte dinner menu between 5-8 p.m. The buffet price for adults is $37.95, and children 5-10 dine for $18.95. Ray’s Rio Bravo (770-612-2829) serves its brunch buffet, priced at $22.95 for adults and $11.95 for children 5-10, between 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Order from the regular dinner menu from 5-8 p.m.

The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill in Roswell is hosting a celebratory Easter lunch with daily fresh fish, half-shell oysters and renowned grouper sandwiches. Call 770-993-5749.

East Cobb
Seed Kitchen & Bar in East Cobb loads its Sunday brunch menu with delectables like smoked salmon, crab eggs Benedict and smoked brisket hash, and chef Doug Turbush will offer items especially for Easter. Reservations: 678-214-6888.

HOBNOB Distills Focus to New Bourbon Menu, Signature Cocktails and Tavern Specialties

Spirits are soaring at the corner of Monroe and Piedmont in Midtown -- HOBNOB owner Sean Yeremyan and team have compiled one of the most comprehensive bourbon lists in Atlanta. It’s straight-up sensational with 35 brands of bourbon from our region and beyond, more than 60 bourbon drinks and plans to continually offer off-list surprises. Local craft brews and signature cocktails also enter into the mix, including the tavern’s new signature cocktail, the 1551 HOBNOB Old Fashioned featuring Woodford Reserve bourbon and Luxardo liqueur and providing a smoky flavor created by torching cinnamon and hickory root in the glass. The new Southern-inspired Charleston Brown Water Society Punch made with Buffalo Trace bourbon and dark rum is a patio-perfect sipper. Southern fare joins the menu of tavern favorites including a collards and beer cheese Dixie Dip; a sampler platter of chicken tenders, fish and chips, warm pretzels with beer cheese dip, fried green tomatoes, Southern spring rolls and homemade sauces; a Super Food Plate with Mother Nature salad, fried green tomatoes and sautéed seasonal veggies; and an eight-ounce flat iron steak served with cabernet gravy, onion ring, buttermilk mashed potatoes and collard greens. Tiramisu French toast and loaded breakfast sliders join the brunch menu, and bourbon pecan pie, tiramisu and Kahlúa chocolate tufty crunch sweeten dessert options. When stopping by for weekday lunch, nightly dinner or weekend brunch, be sure to notice the new bourbon-soaked farmhouse atmosphere and the tin roofing enhancements on the patio.

Heaven Sent: Revival Launches Georgia Beer Dinner Series with Wild Heaven Craft Beers April 12

Share the joy of a match made in heaven when Revival unites with Wild Heaven Craft Beers for its new Georgia Beer Dinner Series featuring local craft brewers. Kevin Gillespie and his Decatur restaurant team will host their Avondale Estates neighbor at the series opener on Tuesday, April 12. For this first dinner, Revival executive chef Andreas Müller aligns four savory dishes and one dessert with five different Wild Heaven beers. Run by Georgia natives using European brewing techniques with a Southern bent, Wild Heaven strives to raise the profile of beer in the South in the same way the red-bearded chef/restaurateur has raised the profile of Southern food. Tickets for the 6 p.m. dinner are $95 per person (excluding gratuity); purchase online through Xorbia. Communal table seating is limited to 60 guests. Save the dates for the remaining 2016 Tuesday night beer dinners: Three Taverns Craft Beers on June 14, Creature Comforts Brewing Co. on August 16 and Twain’s Brewery on October 18.

See Top-Notch Kitchens and Gunshow Chef Joey Ward at The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. Tour of Kitchens March 19-20

After tapping your inner BGE OTP, zip toward Atlanta and view hot trends in residential kitchens through The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc.’s 19th annual Tour of Kitchens. Tour takers have two days -- Saturday, March 19 and Sunday, March 20 -- to peek at a slice of kitchen life in 14 fine homes. Scroll through the event program online and plan tour stops to coincide with culinary demonstrations by top Atlanta chefs. For instance, Gunshow executive chef Joey Ward will be on deck in the kitchen of 170 15th Street, NE at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Want in? Purchase tickets in advance online or at JLA headquarters; $35 per person covers both days. General admission tickets will be sold on tour days at each home and at JLA headquarters. $40 per person covers both days. 

Fling Open the BGE for Spring Entertaining after Ray’s at Killer Creek Big Green Egg Cooking Class March 19

Wow friends with your BGE prowess and repertoire of spring fling-ready recipes acquired at the Ray’s at Killer Creek Big Green Egg cooking class on Saturday, March 19 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Ray’s executive chef Mike Fuller fires up his BGE to demo smoked duck pastrami deviled eggs, grilled asparagus salad, slow-cooked and garlic-studded spring lamb leg with twice-baked Parmesan potatoes and lemon-blueberry crumb cobbler. Take in the class at the Alpharetta restaurant and taste Fuller’s fare accompanied by iced tea, soda or coffee for $35 per person or $60 per couple. Reservations required with credit card to hold spot; call 770-649-0064.

Buy Atlanta Food & Wine Festival Tickets at Early Bird Prices Beginning March 18

Ticket sales begin March 18 for the sixth annual Atlanta Food & Wine Festival, on tap to fill Midtown with all things delicious June 2-5. While we’ll dole out more information in days to come, here’s a heads up that chef Gerry Klaskala (Aria) and chef Kevin Gillespie (Gunshow, Revival) will be among the award-winning roster of restaurants, chefs, sommeliers, beverage innovators and culinary gurus gathering together to dish and pour more than 200 ways to sip, savor and sample the South. Take advantage of early bird pricing through April 15. Pick your social avenue to follow the food and fun: Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram (@ATLFoodandWine, #AFWFT).

Press Your Best Green Jeans, St. Patrick’s Day is Thursday, March 17

You look great in green. What luck, St. Patrick’s Day is this Thursday, and Atlanta restaurants have the perfect accessories: beer and cocktails in multiple shades of green as well as Irish lunch and dinner favorites. Plan your modus operandi by leapin’ like a leprechaun over to The Dish blog for a list of St. Patrick’s Day specials.  

New Foodee Offers Delivery from Popular Restaurants to Atlanta Boardrooms

Provide the room and Foodee will provide the board -- tailored menus from popular Atlanta restaurants that typically do not deliver. Launched March 14, the fresh, curated meal concierge service aims to please both foodie and corporate cultures. By bringing top restaurant cuisine to the workplace, Foodee stands in the gap between Atlanta’s leading chefs and unique restaurants and corporate, office and boardroom-bound clientele. Corporations can now call on Foodee for tailored menus, bowtie-clad delivery drivers, a cloud-based ordering platform and eco-friendly business practices that reduce the carbon “foodprint” around the corporate lunch. Restaurant partners already include Gypsy Kitchen, Smokebelly BBQ, The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill and The Southern Gentleman. Looks like meeting attendance will be on the upswing for businesses feeding their foodies through Foodee.

Acquaint Yourself with Bespoke Collection Boutique Wines at The Southern Gentleman Wine Dinner March 16

Big wines from small, boutique wineries. That’s what the Bespoke Collection of curated, artisanal brands from Blackbird Vineyards, Arena Galleries and Recuerdo Wines bring to the dinner table at The Southern Gentleman on Wednesday, March 16. Guests arrive to a 6:30 p.m. welcome reception followed by dinner at 7 p.m. Executive chef Matthew Ridgway plans a four-course Bespoke Collection Wine Dinner menu featuring striped bass carpaccio paired with Ma(i)sonry 2012 “Stagecoach Vineyard” Marsanne; marinated veal salad with Blackbird Vineyards 2014 Arriviste rose; stuffed Australian rabbit leg with Blackbird Vineyards 2013 Paramour; and red wine whoopie pie with Recuerdo 2012 Aliado malbec. $95 per person (not including tax or gratuity). Limited seating available; contact Simone@sphospitality.com or call 404-964-9243 for reservations.

Paul Hobbs Brings His Argentinian Wines to Gypsy Kitchen Wine Dinner March 15

Slip into your favorite Patagonia pullover and think Southern Hemisphere when heading to Gypsy Kitchen for the Paul Hobbs Wine Dinner on Tuesday, March 15. Dinner host Paul Hobbs and his namesake Paul Hobbs Winery are known for crafting terroir-driven wines from small, sustainably farmed vineyards in California and the Mendoza region of Argentina. This intriguing dinner highlights the winery’s Argentinian Collection complemented by passed hors d’oeuvre and a four-course menu prepared by Gypsy Kitchen executive chef Matthew Ridgway. A reception opens the evening at 6:30 p.m. with stuffed profiteroles and Pulenta Estate pinot gris Alto Agrelo Mendoza 2015. Dinner pairings include marinated wild striped bass and Bramare chardonnay “Marchiori Vineyard” Perdriel Lujan de Cuyo 2014; Hudson Valley foie gras escabeche with Alto Limay pinot noir select Patagonia 2014; roasted Chalon duck breast aiguillette with a side-by-side Malbec terroir tasting of Viña Cobos Bramare Lujan de Cuyo Mendoza 2013 and Viña Cobos Bramare Uco Valley Mendoza 2013; and dessert of brut cocoa whoopie pie with cabernet franc Tardio made by Pulenta Estate. $95 per person (not including tax or gratuity). Reserve a seat by emailing Simone@sphospitality.com or calling 404-964-9243.

What’s New on Pinterest

Skip the “J” and hand over the “PB” or even just the “P!” March is National Peanut Month, and we exhibit signs of a strong case of Peanut Craze. Savor Asian peanut sauce, Thai chicken tacos, vegan/gluten-free peanut tofu Buddha bowl and an Asian peanut coconut salad dressing so tasty you’ll want to pour it over almost anything in a bowl. We’re sweet on the best no-bake peanut butter pie with no cream cheese and no Cool Whip, peanut butter brownie bombs, salted caramel peanut pie and classic “buckeye” peanut butter balls. Spread the love: no-bake, five-ingredient peanut butter energy bites for you and your friends and a batch of healthy homemade peanut butter dog treats for Fido. Easy, peasy, peanut.

#Foodgram

From the authors of “The Perfect Egg” cookbook, the food lovers @SpoonForkBacon show off photos of original recipes such as mini strawberry upside down cornmeal cobblers (that’s a mouthful), strawberry tiramisu, chilaquiles and, huh? A Trix donut?