Get your kicks on Route 66, but for KYX, pull up to the bar at Gypsy Kitchen in Buckhead. Wanting to create a distinctly Spanish cocktail to complement Gypsy Kitchen fare, Garn McCown marries Kentucky bourbon (KY) with East India Lustau sherry from the Jerez (also known as Xerez) region of Spain (X) for KYX ($12). The family tree becomes even more interesting with a hand-blended mix of quince, lemon, sugar and a touch of black walnut bitters punctuated by a flamed lemon peel for a hint of smokiness.
Thirty-five guests will savor a heaping helping of stories, a chef’s demo, four-course dinner and great wines with Atlanta’s own legendary chef Gerry Klaskala at Inside the Chef's Studio, presented by Oxygen Financial, on Wednesday, August 31. Aria chef/owner Klaskala and “Atlanta Eats” host Steak Shapiro will spill some stories of life in the restaurant field during the 6:30-9 p.m. event taking place in one of Atlanta’s coolest kitchens, the Sub-Zero and Wolf Showroom in Buckhead. Tickets, $175 per person (plus online service fee), are available on FreshTix. Price includes complimentary valet, wine, beer, four-course meal and cooking demo. A portion of the proceeds benefits the Atlanta Community Food Bank.
A love for Indian and Latin American cuisines threatened to cause tabletop tug of war for restaurateur Ricky Walia. That is until he decided to unite the two cultures in a spicy East meets West marriage at his new restaurant and tapas lounge Affairs. Now open at 4120 Old Milton Parkway in Alpharetta (former Urban Spice location), the joint venture from the Walia Hospitality Group and the Thakkar Group promises a blessedly bold union of culinary experiences. Walia is behind the successful Masti – Fun Indian Street Eats in Toco Hills as well as the recently opened Bombay Brasserie in Roswell. A traditional tandoor oven and the small, open-flame sigri stove yield Indian staples such as aromatic biryanis (mixed rice dishes) and rich, thick dal stews in addition to a wide array of dishes and styles from across Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Rice dishes, breads, barbecue platters, salads and appetizers round out the menus. Turn to Affairs for a spicy romance with lunch and dinner seven days a week. More info: 678-566-0169.
Mother Earth Brewing Company road trips south from Kinston in eastern North Carolina and pulls into Stem Wine Bar in Marietta for a Mother Earth Beer Dinner on Monday, August 29 at 6:30 p.m. Executive chef de cuisine John Flagello creates a five-course menu that orbits around Mother Earth Brewing selections chosen by Stem general manager Chris McNeill and beverage manager David Peek. Casey Turner from Mother Earth comes along for the ride to talk about the evening’s beer pairings. The out-of-this-world menu lands red snapper crudo with nectarine supreme, hibiscus, jalapeño, radish and Georgia olive oil paired with Endless River Kolsch-style ale; chorizo, fig and focaccia-stuffed Judith Point calamari, plantain crisp, black garlic purée and micro cilantro served with Weeping Willow Wit; braised Cheshire Farm’s pork cheek, stewed hominy, sweet corn, roasted chili and okra, Mexican chocolate mole and queso cojito with Dark Cloud Dunkel; Maple Leaf Farm’s duck breast, sweet potato and duck confit hash, ancho chili and blackberry gastrique paired with Sisters of the Moon IPA; and a rich ending of espresso panna cotta, Mexican chocolate biscotti, brûléed nectarine supreme and nectarine chocolate sauce with Silent Night Imperial stout. Buy tickets online in advance; $79 per person (includes tax and gratuity).
Gridiron season is only a few downs away, and tailgaters are already jotting game-day noshing ideas in their playbooks. The Sandy Springs community rallies fans for its second annual Kickoff Cookout at 5 Seasons Brewing in the Prado from noon-4 p.m. on Saturday, August 27. Marlow’s Tavern is on the team of local restaurants participating, selling samples of Warm Brie Fondue for $1 and Lump Crab Cakes for $2. Live music, traditional tailgate games including cornhole and QB Toss, and crafted brews kick this football season celebration into the family friendly (sorry Fido, not this time) party zone. Entry is free; purchase food and drinks with cash or card. Free parking.
The inaugural Springer Mountain Farms' Atlanta Wing Fest presented by Taste of Atlanta takes flight at The Foundry at Puritan Mill on Sunday, September 25. Wings are the thing here, flanked by beer, Southern spirits and local music. Appropriately, Atlanta-based charity Angel Flight Soars benefits from the charitable event, as does Second Helpings Atlanta. General admission tickets, $20 each, include 1:30 p.m. event entry, wing tastes from 25 local and Southeastern restaurants, eat and greets with chefs, live entertainment and a complimentary bottle or two of water. A cash bar is available for more potent liquids. For those 21 and over, the $45 VIP First Taster ticket pays the way for early admission plus entry into Southern Spirits Lounge with café seating and an open bar pouring Southern spirits and craft beers.
Food aficionados prepping for Taste of Atlanta weekend October 21-23 can go ahead and begin with a little amuse bouche — “Taste of Atlanta Tuesdays,” a series of four weekly five-course paired tasting menus in several of the city’s most iconic neighborhoods created by some of Atlanta’s finest chefs. Thanks to a Taste of Atlanta and Springer Mountain Farms partnership, diners will have opportunities to meet the chefs at their restaurants and experience each one’s creativity over an intimate dinner. Priced at $85 per person, tax and tip included, these dinners won’t bite into wallets. Each dinner begins at 7 p.m., and reservations are limited. Click on a date to purchase tickets:
There’s bingo. Then there’s Dirty South bingo, the varietal served Wednesday nights at Communion, the backyard beer garden at chef Kevin Gillespie’s Revival in Decatur. Stop in for a midweek pick-me-up beer and stay to play Dirty South bingo at 8 p.m. Thursday nights, switch gears to Dirty South trivia, also at 8 p.m. Thank goodness the prizes are useful and not trivial – champs win Communion tokens redeemable for beer and other menu items. Didn’t win? You can still score a token; buy six and Communion throws in number seven on the house. Plus, everyone (21 and over) can take advantage of spirited drink specials. Communion is open Wednesday-Saturday from 5-10 p.m. and Sunday from 5-9 p.m. (weather permitting). Check Communion's Facebook,Twitter and Instagram pages for updates.
Time out for Taco Tuesdays at Tin Lizzy’s Cantina. Unfurl that stack of ones or whip out your plastic because the FlexMex cantina crew is folding $2 tacos on Tuesdays after 2 p.m. Available at all Tin Lizzy’s locations, the two buck clucks include grilled, fried, Buffalo, club and chicken con queso tacos. The fried fish taco jumps aboard the $2 deal as well. Order a bunch for the table, and you’ll be more popular than a loaded piñata. These tasty tacos will fly out of serving baskets, especially when a couple of pitchers of Blue Moon beer, $14 each, make an appearance. (Cannot be combined with any other offers or discounts.)
When it’s your birthday, “Happy Birthday!” greetings, cake and ice cream make the day extra special. Sublime Doughnuts is making the whole week special as they celebrate birthday number eight. Now through August 25, Sublime’s doling out a free scoop of their homemade Sublime Blue Birthday Cake ice cream to customers who walk into either the Midtown or North Druid Hills stores and say, “Happy Birthday, Baby Blue.” It’s always the right time to impart birthday greetings because the stores are open 24/7. Party hearty by purchasing one of the bakeshop’s chef-inspired doughnuts or another scoop of ice cream in flavors like mango moscato, strawberry rose, butter pecan caramel and peach riesling. Go social and look to Sublime’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram posts for a special birthday surprise.
Hooker, shucker, blocker -- whatever your strategy -- pitch proudly and purposely. Enter the Team in Training Cornhole Tournament at Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland, going down at 2 p.m. on Sunday, August 28. All proceeds benefit the Georgia Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The $50 entry fee per two-person team includes two beers and two raffle tickets. Winners walk out with more than $1000 in cash and prizes. Cornhole athletes and spectators, toss the idea around and come while away a Sunday afternoon sipping cold ones and doing good. Register at Atkins Park on tournament day.
Sara Forte documents life, food, friends, family, travel…and did we already say food, mainly seasonal food and produce? Grow with her at the Sprouted Kitchen or www.sproutedkitchen.com. She has already sprouted two cookbooks: “The Sprouted Kitchen,” which is mostly vegetarian, and “Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon,” centered on food in, well, bowls.
