Move to Head of the Class with Willy’s Teacher Appreciation Week Catering Special May 1-5

Doing your homework on ways to shower those wonderful teachers with “muchas gracias” before the end of the school year? Willy’s Mexicana Grill turns in an A+ idea: treat them to a catered fajita, taco or nacho bar or quesadilla platter, burrito platter -- and skip out on delivery fees. During Willy’s Teacher Appreciation Week, May 1-5, catering orders of $150 going to schools or teaching facilities are exempt from delivery charges (24-hour notice required). Willy’scatering menu just happens to be on our reading list.

Rize Artisan Pizza + Salads in Poncey-Highland Officially Opens Patio with Week of Specials May 1-7

Rize Artisan Pizza + Salads covers all those patio season dining details: a roof for shade and spring shower protection, ample al fresco seating, menus bursting with delicious lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch fare and refreshing libations. And, at the top of the list, a week of specials the whole family will enjoy leading up to an all-day patio-opening party on Saturday, May 6 featuring sangria priced at $5/glass or $25/carafe, $4 craft beer and $5 small plates plus live music at 7 p.m. Party goers can register to win a $100 Rize gift card.

What about those daily specials? Here’s the May 1-7 lineup:

• Monday, buy one pizza, get the second one free (equal or lesser price).

• Tuesday, buy an adult entrée (pizza, full salad or pasta) and receive a Kids Meal free (kids 10 and under); one Kids Meal per one adult entrée.

• Girls Night Out Wednesday features $5 small plates and $5 sangria from 5 p.m. until close.

• Trivia Night Thursday, enjoy $4 Wild Heaven beer and trivia competition from 8-10 p.m.

• Date Night Friday gifts guests with one free small plate with the purchase of a sangria, beer or wine after 5 p.m. Limit one per person.

• Saturday, all-day patio kick-off party.

• Brunch Sunday introduces a new brunch menu, available from 11 a.m.-2 p.m., featuring house-made frittata, biscuits, breakfast pizza, sandwiches, mimosas and sangria.

Free parking available in the 675 N. Highland parking garage.

#Foodgram: Spoon_Emory

One of the most mouthwatering online universities we’ve uncovered has to be Spoon University at Emory.Spoon_Emory posts and photos replace text books. Degree options seem to run from about 32˚F to 400˚F. May be tongue in cheek, just play along.

Feast on Chefs’ Best Fried Chicken at Family Friendly Mother Clucker Festival in Midtown April 30

Sunday afternoon’s Mother Clucker Chicken Festival competes with baseball for weekend “fowl” ball territory. Fried chicken fans can field chef-driven chicken feed, a.k.a. delectable classic and creative chicken dishes, from Chicken and the Egg, FEED Fried Chicken + Such, 5Church, Midtown Takorea, Ormsby’s and other Atlanta restaurants at The Stave Room (American Spirit Works Distillery), April 30 from 2-5 p.m. Fried chicken-inspired tastings prepared from all-natural Springer Mountain Farms chicken share the party with live music, beer, wine and specialty cocktails featuring American Spirit Whiskey. General admission is $40 for adults and $15 for children ages 5-12. Wee chicks are welcome, and kids under age 5 get in free. Buy tickets online (small service fee). A portion of the day’s proceeds benefits Songs for Kids and its musical mission to enrich the lives of children battling illnesses. Peck through pics from previous Mother Clucker Festivals here.

Bite into Cobb’s Best Restaurants at Taste of Marietta April 30

Build a “square” meal out of tastings from Cobb County’s top restaurants at Taste of Marietta, sprawling around the Historic Marietta Square on Sunday, April 30 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Chicken and the Egg is one of the 75 restaurants and caterers doling out some of their best dishes at the 24^th annual tasting event. A 10-truck food truck line throttles up more options. Leave Fido at home but definitely bring the kids -- they’ll have a big time bouncing in moonwalks, making sand art and enjoying other fun activities in the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Kids Alley. Two stages rock the afternoon with live music, and culinary demos sizzle on the cooking stage. Free admission; purchase tickets for “tastes,” which are priced at $1-$5 each. Find parking and other info here.

Mary Kay Andrews Sets Out Welcome Mat for “The Beach House Cookbook” Release Party at The Cook’s Warehouse Midtown April 30

Breezy flair and summertime favorites fill “The Beach House Cookbook”, the newest release from New York Times bestseller and “Beach Read Queen” Mary Kay Andrews. Meet Andrews at a cookbook launch party on Sunday, April 30 at 4 p.m. at The Cook’s Warehouse in Midtown Atlanta and see how easy it is to offer beach house hospitality. She will demo easy recipes for entertaining and offer light bites and signature cocktails from the cookbook. Plus, she’s giving out swag bags loaded with goodies. Scan your horizon for summer vacation visits and buy a cookbook for yourself as well as a few for hostess gifts so Andrews can sign them at the party. Attendees can enter a drawing for prizes and help out The Giving Kitchen. Call 404-815-4993 or go online to RSVP. Visit www.marykayandrews.com for more information.

Milton’s Sprouts First Farmyard Chowdown of the Season with Magic, Music and More April 30

The garden gate is open. Park the tractor at the historic Crabapple farmhouse and come on in to celebrate the growing season at the first Farmyard Chowdown of the year at Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails on Sunday, April 30 beginning at 6 p.m. Oodles of oysters, fried chicken, low country seafood boil and more of chef Derek Dollar’s lip-smacking victuals, communal tables and lawn games will spread out around Milton’s backyard. Plate up and sit down with your new best farm friends. Live music, a magician and games will engage all ages, from little chickees to seasoned farm hands. Buy advance tickets online, $40 per person and $20 for kids 12 and under (plus small service fee; tax, $5 drink tickets not included). Go ahead and mark your Old Farmer’s Almanac calendar for future 2017 Chowdowns on Sept. 17 and Oct. 8.

American Cut “Steaks” Claim to Decatur Farmers Market Chef Demo April 29

American Cut is known for its succulent meats and upscale dining experience in The Shops Buckhead Atlanta. On Saturday, April 29, chef John Adamson reveals another side -- side dishes. The American Cut chef demos recipes using farm-fresh seasonal produce at the Decatur Farmers Market. Shop the market’s array of locally grown and produced goods from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; located in the “Pecan Grove” of the First Baptist Church of Decatur, 308 Clairemont Avenue.

Grab Early Dibs on Rare Treat, 50-Day Dry-Aged Manhattan Strip at The Federal

Acclaimed Atlanta chefs Shaun Doty and Lance Gummere at The Federal in Midtown share a soft spot for their carnivore customers. The two gents are working with Buckhead Beef to dry age their 16-ounce certified Black Angus steaks for an unheard-of 50 days. Now, The Federal is able to offer dinner guests an opportunity to taste 50-day, dry-aged Manhattan strip steak ($68), a premium lean cut known for its marbling, tenderness and flavor. Quantities are extremely limited. “Most restaurants dry age their beef for an average of 28 days. Our 50-day dry-aged steaks are going to have even more intense flavor and offer a rare treat for steak connoisseurs,” says Doty. To slice into this exquisite, butter knife-tender steak, make reservations via OpenTable. Two-hour validated parking is available next to the restaurant in the 1010 Midtown Parking deck, and additional paid parking is on Crescent Avenue. Valet parking is offered at the corner of 11^th and Crescent Avenue Thursday through Saturday. For additional information, call 404-343-3857.

What’s New on Pinterest: Pack a Picnic

A tisket, a tasket, let’s Pack a Picnic basket. National Picnic Day, April 23, opens the lid to the eating al fresco season, and our hamper overflows with make-ahead packables. “Summery, serene picnic ideas” set the scene. Walking tacos in Fritos bags, handy sandwiches and jars stuffed with banana pudding and other desserts or chopped salads in jars make serving and supping a cinch. Freeze vodka lemonade in Ziploc bags for an adult version of those cooler friendly kiddie drinks. With games, picnic gift baskets and party tips to boot, the only things missing from this picnic are the ants.

Taste of Atlanta Food Fest Takes Sweet 16 Party to Old Fourth Ward Park Oct. 20-22

Taste of Atlanta, the city’s premier bites and bevs fest, is looking ahead to its Sweet 16 anniversary this Oct. 20-22, moving the feast to a brand-new home in Historic Fourth Ward Park. A Friday night “Sweet 16” soiree hosted by Jonathan and Justin Fox of Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q opens the festivities, which roll on through the weekend with more than 200 nibbles, sips and samples of food, wine, craft beer and cocktails from a who’s who of the ATL’s most buzz-worthy restaurants. VIP Grand Tasting Experience upgrades, always a sellout, allow festivalgoers to access exclusives. Chef demonstrations, interactive panel conversations, music and more fill this weekend cornucopia of food and frolics. Thirsty to be a firstie in following updates and buying tickets? Ruminate on these be-in-the-know links: TasteOfAtlanta.com, sign up for the fun, foodie Bite of News newsletter and follow Taste of Atlanta on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

#Foodgram:Cookie The News

Sometimes, the daily news is easier to stomach when baked into a cookie. Cookie The News sugar, spices and ices the headlines and pop culture buzz into ready for prime time treats. Naming a few: LEGO’s Women of NASA, Beauty and the Beast, Oscar Mistake, Donald Trump Elected, World Series 2016. Don’t like that news bite? Dunk it in your glass of milk. 

Communion at Revival “Tacos” On a New Vibe, Opens as Communion Cantina on Cinco de Mayo

Cutting-edge Atlanta chef, restaurateur, speaker and cookbook author Kevin Gillespie loves to shake things up, things like restaurants and margaritas. Gillespie is opening Communion Cantina, a Mexican watering hole and eatery behind his popular Revival restaurant in Decatur on Friday, May 5 at 4 p.m. “By changing Communion every year, we can keep being creative and try new things,” says Gillespie. Last year’s German beer garden-inspired backyard gathering spot crosses borders, reopening as a casual, outdoor Mexican cantina. A backyard food truck will sell five different varieties of tacos along with other Mexican staples such as chips and salsa, cheese dip and guacamole. Beer and cocktails, including margaritas, sangria and frozen drinks like frosé and frozen mint juleps (a nod to Southern traditions) are ready to slake thirsts during warmer days and nights. The beer selection, both bottled and draft, features West Coast, domestic, local and Mexican brews. Cash and credit cards both work here – no pesos needed. Communion Cantina’s hours are Thursday from 5-10 p.m. (with Dirty South Trivia starting at 8 p.m) and Friday from 5-10 p.m., Saturday from 1-10 p.m. and Sunday from 1-9 p.m. Groups may reserve tables or the whole backyard for parties.