“Bun’s” the word for Matthew Ridgway, executive chef at Gypsy Kitchen and The Southern Gentleman restaurants in The Shops Buckhead Atlanta. On Monday, Feb. 27, Ridgway takes a one-night hiatus from his sunny Spain and Southern kitchens to create a signature steamed bun for Westside restaurant-lounge Little Trouble’s weekly “Bunday.” Little Trouble happily provides the delicious steamed buns to cushion the guest chef’s creation. Ridgway’s stunning buns, along with drink specials, will be offered alongside the regular menu from 5 p.m. until “late.”
Sweet Charlie’s, the Philadelphia-based/Thai-inspired, rolled ice cream and yogurt phenomenon rolls its first-ever franchise location into Buckhead (3872 Roswell Road, next to Superica) this spring. The young brand features the hand-rolled, made-to-order dessert sensation Forbes recently dubbed “the cool new trend in Asian sweets.” Sweet Charlie’s is the brainchild of 19-year-old entrepreneur Kyle Billig, who learned about Thai-rolled ice while watching a video and teamed up with older brother Jacob to Americanize the treat. Order and watch American showmanship kick in to create a one-of-a-kind treat based on either premium ice cream, nonfat yogurt or the company’s Nada-Moo vegan option, served in a cup or one of Sweet Charlie’s signature oven-baked glazed donuts and capped with one of its signature flavors or toppings. Because the creation-making surface is below 20 degrees, there is no need to add stabilizers, emulsifiers and preservatives. According to CFO Steve Billig, “In Philadelphia, people stand in line in the freezing cold for our rolled ice cream.” Wow. Just imagine the thrill for Sunbelt ice s’creamers!
Dine out early in the week at Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails in historic Crabapple and take advantage of executive chef Derek Dollar’s Monday through Wednesday dinner specials highlighting seasonal bounty. On Monday, sink teeth into a half rack of baby back ribs, Coca-Cola baked beans, bacon-braised collard greens and GA red barbecue sauce ($20). Tuesday serves up half of an applewood-smoked chicken, sweet and spicy cucumber-melon salad, stewed tomato kale and mango-peach chutney ($18). Wednesday hooks a grouper fish fry with cracked mustard coleslaw, blue cheese sweet potato tots and comeback sauce ($19). At your right hand, Milton’s featured smoked praline old fashioned ($10) is made with house-infused smoked pecan bourbon, caramel syrup and black walnut bitters, served on a king ice cube. Open for dinner at 5 p.m.; book a table online or call 770-817-0161.
Cold winter mornings and cold cereal are frankly frigid wake-up thoughts. Instead, Rise and Shine for Hot Breakfast Time during National Hot Breakfast Month. Before venturing out, warm tummies with cheesy grits with spinach and fried eggs, sausage biscuits and gravy skillet cobbler, American breakfast tacos or savory oatmeal and soft-cooked egg. We’ve found frittatas galore and perfect omelettes that are “da bomb-lette” when filled with pesto and roasted tomatoes. Park the pancake mix box in favor of brown sugar pancakes with maple bacon butter, cinnamon roll pancakes and churro waffles. And if hot breakfast brunches into lunch, so be it.
Sunday’s Prime Rib Dinner at American Cut is made for celebrating a week well spent or pausing to share a fine dinner and conversation before the new week throttles up. Buckhead’s classic American steakhouse with a modern twist now serves a two-course prix fixe menu for $52 per person (excludes tax and gratuity) from 4-9 p.m. each Sunday. Start dreaming of the juicy title cut, 12 ounces of succulent, dry-aged prime rib served with beef jus and horseradish sauce. Open up with a first course of either OG 1924 Hotel Caesar salad with Parmigiano-Reggiano, soft egg and Pullman crouton or Beeler’s Farm bacon with MF steak sauce and black onion. To complement your prime rib, choose a side from the menu’s scrumptious offerings such as mashed sweet potatoes with maple and pecans; potato purée “Robuchon;” twice-baked potato with cheddar and truffle; AC hash browns; beef fat fries with AC secret sauce; button mushrooms with garlic butter; carrot glazed carrot; sunchoked spinach with fontina and smoked salt; roasted Brussels sprouts with Parmesan and aged balsamic; collard greens with pecans and pork; Georgia Vidalia onion rings or pimento-studded mac and cheese. Savor this experience in the main dining room, but why not begin with a cocktail or glass of wine at the first floor bar or crown your meal contemplating a cocktail or spirit from the comfy seating of the rooftop Regent Cocktail Club overlooking Peachtree Street. Set off for the week pleasingly full, renewed and ready to conquer whatever weekdays throw your way.
Is it a sin for a cinnamon roll to weigh a half pound? Not if it’s on the Sunday brunch menu at Revival, Kevin Gillespie’s Decatur restaurant. Thank heaven the old-fashioned warm cinnamon roll ($8) blanketed with oozy buttermilk frosting is easy to spot on the menu -- between homemade baked goods with honey butter and preserves and Revival’s cathead biscuit with spicy sawmill gravy. Righteous!
