Appetizing Aperture: Sublime Doughnuts

Saturday mornings, Sublime Doughnuts owner Kamal Grant, selects two random cereal boxes off the grocery shelves and sends one to the Midtown shop and the other to the North Druid Hills location. That’s where thinking outside the (cereal) box begins as each shop crafts a limited supply of the special Saturday Morning Cereal doughnut based on the chosen box. Bet your Lucky Charms and Cheerios you’ll want to be there when Sublime begins churning out a batch of these doughnuts at 7 a.m. each Saturday. PJs welcome.

Look Forward to Airport Dining AND Your Vacation, Thanks to HBF Restaurant Options

Summer air travel means tackling the world’s busiest airport when it’s even busier. For a more relaxing start to your vacation or business trip, arrive extra early to allow time to snake through security lines then breathe easy and enjoy the amazing dining options at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Look for the “HBF” logo designating Hojeij Branded Foods restaurants, which include local favorites and celebrity chef-driven locations in Concourses A, B and E. Tempting dining menus and cold beer, cocktails and wines soothe frazzled nerves at table service venues including Atlanta Hawks Bar & Grill, Cat Cora’s Kitchen, Gordon Biersch, LowCountry, P.F. Chang’s, TAP Gastropub and Varasano’s. Goldberg’s Deli offers sit down and to-go. Need to grab and go? Run by Boar’s Head/Piece of Cake, Qdoba Mexican Grill, Great Wraps, Chick-fil-A, Arby’s, Freshen’s Yogurt, Nathan’s or Villa Pizza for healthy or hearty in a hurry. Wendy’s will open on Concourse B this summer, adding another option for fly boys and girls and families with little ones begging for burgers. Ah, seems like that vacay has already begun.

Nicole Frey Edwards is New Chef de Cuisine at Revival

Spy the new face among the kitchen team at Revival, Kevin Gillespie’s popular Decatur restaurant? Creative star Nicole Frey Edwards is Revival’s new chef de cuisine, making the move from Gunshow, Gillespie’s Glenwood Park restaurant. This Southerner by choice and heart exudes warmth and a fervor for Southern fare and peak season pickings. Her love affair with Southern cuisine started when she arrived in Atlanta in 2014 to serve as executive sous chef at Watershed on Peachtree and gain exposure to Creole and modern bents on Southern flavors. Edwards admits an addiction to reading “classic cookbooks with recipes that sound like they’re straight from a great-grandmother’s table” and credits Gunshow with pushing her past her creative comfort zone and into dish-driving seasonality. The Johnson and Wales University grad began her culinary career with Operation Frontline Colorado/Share our Strength in Denver while also working at The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa. Enjoy Edward’s cuisine over dinner at Revival Wednesday through Sunday and Sunday brunch.

Ray’s Restaurants Shaves $100 Off Price of Dom Perignon through May 31

More bubbles, less bullion. Through May 31, all three Ray’s Restaurants are popping open bottles of Dom Perignon Champagne for $150 instead of the usual $250. Now that you’ve saved, how about a small splurge? Ray’s in the City, Ray’s on the River and Ray’s at Killer Creek are each featuring their own king salmon and soft shell crab seasonal specials. Those looking for a luscious lobster and champagne dinner can zero in on Ray’s signature lobster Cobb salad or specialties such as Canadian cold water lobster tail, a whole Maine lobster or an option to pair a cold water lobster tail with one of Ray’s top-quality Certified Angus Beef steaks. Hurry in, because like those Champagne bubbles, the Dom Perignon special will soon disappear.

Holy Jalapeño! Tin Lizzy’s is Spicing Up Your Summer with Tacos, Jalapeño Margaritas and Patrón Tequila Specials

Tin Lizzy’s Cantina calls the shots this summer – spicy and spirited! Tuesdays, toss back $5 Patrón tequila shorty shots and munch on $2 tacos from their special Taco Tuesday list. Note to self, invite friends to join in. Tin Lizzy’s Nashville chicken taco ($3.49), proves tacos can be hotter than hot Atlanta summer days and nights. This one tops Nashville spiced chicken with a cooling red cabbage pickle slaw and ranch dressing. Two “Spice Up Your Summer” margaritas take over as the ultimate flame chasers, even though both start with Tanteo jalapeño tequila. The cucumber jalapeño margarita ($8.50) chills with St. Germain, muddled cucumbers and sour mix. Keep your summer body in check with The Hot and Skinny ($8) that features Agavero Orange liqueur, agave nectar and nose-tickling soda. Yes, we’re forecasting a deliciously hot summer.

Playtime! Passion for Paws Hosts Pet Soirée Fundraiser at The Southern Gentleman and Gypsy Kitchen June 7

“Paws” for a night out on the patios of The Southern Gentleman and Gypsy Kitchen on Wednesday, June 7. Passion for Paws is hosting an animal rescue fundraiser from 6-10 p.m. at the sibling restaurants in The Shops Buckhead Atlanta. Unleash a midweek pick-me-up of a complimentary drink, light bites, live music and silent auction bidding. Stay for dinner and enjoy 10 percent off your dinner tab that night at either restaurant. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door. Valet and self-parking available. That’s parking, not barking…no dogs or cats, please. Non-profit Passion for Paws, Atlanta helps raise money for non-profit, no-kill shelters to rescue and medically treat animals. Funds raised at this event will specifically benefit PAWS Atlanta and Good Mews. 

Celebrate National Doughnut Day with Hometown Sweeties Sublime Doughnuts and SweetWater Brewing Company at Tasting Event and at Both Locations

Sweet treats and toasting beverages are a dynamic duo for a holiday celebration. Sublime Doughnuts, Atlanta’s specialty bakeshop selling high-quality, chef-inspired doughnuts, is partnering with SweetWater Brewing Company to ensure National Doughnut Day will be the happiest, hoppy-est holiday around town for beer and doughnut lovers. On Friday, June 2, these two Atlanta darlings are treating SweetWater tour-goers to four perfectly paired beer and doughnut tastings when they purchase the $12 brewery tour between 5:30-7:30 p.m. Flavors include Dulce de Leche (yeast doughnut ring topped with caramel sauce), Dirty D (yeast doughnut ring topped with milk chocolate and Oreo and Nestle crumbs), B-Day (yeast doughnut ring topped with a vanilla glaze and sprinkles) and Glazed Ring (yeast doughnut topped with a signature vanilla glaze). Completing Friday’s out-of-the-bakery-box experience, Sublime and SweetWater have dreamed up an exclusive co-branded cask of beer to be tapped at the event.

Since it is National Doughnut DAY, you may want to celebrate all day long. Good thing Sublime Doughnuts shops in West Midtown and North Druid Hills are open 24 hours daily. Additionally, the North Druid Hills store is kosher certified. As Sublime Doughnuts founder and creative director Kamal Grant insists, “eat one that’s worth it.” Sublime creates more than 30 chef-inspired doughnuts, plus a weekly “Will It Doughnut” featuring wild ingredients from Kamal’s flavor wheel. Trust us, each one is oh, so worth it.

Atlanta Restaurants Salute Memorial Day Weekend

Celebrate Memorial Day with ceremonies and salutes honoring our armed forces. Lighter traffic. Fewer lines. More brunch time. All-American restaurant specials, dance parties and live music abounding. Exploring Atlanta and nearby cities like Roswell over the Memorial Day weekend has its own set of perks. Remember to throw your flip-flops, sunscreen and dancing slippers in your car!

Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland serves its mouthwatering brunch menu all weekend long and on Monday featuring all-American classics such as the fried chicken pancake sandwich, short rib and eggs, fried green tomato Benedict, numerous skillets and even avocado toast from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

It’s not every Monday you can enjoy a relaxing brunch, so why not go for it? HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern will offer its regular brunch menu on Saturday, Sunday AND Monday from 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. HOBNOB also is one of the closest places to catch a bite when heading to the Atlanta Jazz Festival at Piedmont Park over Memorial Day weekend.

Johnny’s Hideaway boogies into the unofficial start of summer with a pre-Memorial Day party on Sunday, May 28. Dance to the music of the Cold Draft Beer band and DJ Spin. Want to stay out late? Johnny’s hours accommodate.

Celebrate Memorial Day weekend and National Burger Day (May 28) wiping burger juice off your chin -- the result of biting into the Royale with Cheese, a classic tavern burger, available at your favorite Marlow’s Tavern locations. Wagyu beef is seared perfectly and stacked with American cheese and dill pickle on a buttery sesame brioche bun. Open on Memorial Day. Check website for location hours.

There’s a whole lotta Whole Hog Hootenanny going on at Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails from 12-2 p.m. on Monday, May 29. Pile plates with pulled pork, ribs, smoked chicken, sides and sweets at this all-you-care-to-eat shindig going hog wild on Milton’s Acre along with a cash bar, live music and games to please all ages. Tickets are $30/adult and $15 ages 12 and under. Buy tickets and read details here.

Enjoy an all-American meal of steaks, seafood and signature dishes at all three Ray’s Restaurants over the holiday weekend. On Memorial Day, May 29, Ray’s in the City, Ray’s on the River and Ray’s at Killer Creek will offer all veterans and active military a 20 percent discount.

Roswell Remembers Memorial Day, May 29 at the Roswell City Hall complex, reminds visitors why we cherish this special day honoring those who have served our nation in the armed forces. Visit ExploreRoswell.com to find out what’s going on in the historic city then plan a Roswell staycation over the holiday weekend or on down the road.

Smokebelly BBQ tickles ribs with four days of Red, White & Q festivities over the dates of May 26-29. Drink specials span the weekend, including $5 mules, $5 Tito’s drinks and $3 Bud Light and Miller drafts. Live music plays Friday and Saturday from 8 p.m.-midnight and Sunday from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Sunday brunch kicks things up a notch with a bloody mary bar and bottomless mimosas from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Smokebelly empowers Memorial Day gatherings with to-go packages. Dog-friendly patio! Call 404-848-9100 for more information. Open Memorial Day from 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

Atlanta’s closest beach is only a few miles away. The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill -- Buckhead or Canton Street -- primes for summer with live music, cold drinks and seafood dishes galore throughout the Memorial Day weekend. Stay cool on flip-flop-approved covered decks or within air-conditioned interiors. 

Grape News! Two Ways to Celebrate National Wine Day in Sandy Springs on May 25

Food 101 to Pour Wine Flights

This week, Food 101 will offer their Wine Down Wednesdays wine flight special on Wednesday – and Thursday. Think they’re flighty? Not at all! Thursday, May 25 is National Wine Day, one of our favorite varietals of foodie holidays. To mark the wine-some day, the Sandy Springs restaurant will pour May’s wine flight selections during Thursday night dinner service. Explore an Atalon from Napa Valley, a Kendall-Jackson from the Central Coast of California and a Carmel Road from Monterey, California. Flights are offered for $15, and glasses are available for $10. Free samples of several other wines will be available, and a wine distributor will be on hand that evening to answer wine questions. Complete the experience with selections from executive chef Ryan Smith’s delectable menu of Southern fare, garden delights, charcuterie and artisanal cheeses.

Wine, Brews and Moos Fuel Celebration at Taco Mac-The Prado

Wine. Check. Cheese. Check. Brews. Huh? Leave it to Taco Mac to spin National Wine Day toward a stout and hearty celebration dubbed “Wine, Brews, and Moos” at the restaurant’s Sandy Springs Prado location. From 6:30-9 p.m. on Thursday, May 25, relish all you care to eat and drink beer, wine and cheese. Brewniversity members earn three Brewniversity credits for participation. Buy tickets online, $30 each.

Sip and Savor Four Wines, Five Courses at Aria Rhys Vineyards Dinner May 24

Expect a divine wining and dining experience when Aria hosts a Rhys Vineyards Wine Dinner on Wednesday, May 24. Aria chef/owner Gerry Klaskala creates an inspired five-course menu showcasing four sensational wines from Rhys Vineyards: Anderson Valley chardonnay 2014, Horseshoe Vineyard chardonnay 2013, Anderson Valley pinot noir 2014 and Bearwallow Vineyard pinot noir 2013. These four varietals express the nuances of the varying rocky, mountainous, cool and coastal conditions of the California winery’s estate vineyards. Want to know more about these terroir-driven wines? Chat with Rhys Vineyard sales director Eric Sothern at the event. Dinner begins at 7 p.m. $150 per person (includes tax and gratuity). Limited seating; call 404-233-7673 for reservations.

Appetizing Aperture: Aria's Cabrio Tour

Aria’s bartenders sure know how to mix a mean cocktail! The Cabrio Tour is handcrafted with brandy, sloe gin, green chartreuse and egg white and is featured on the new spring cocktail menu. Smooth and frothy, this mixology masterpiece is the perfect start to a night on the town. Hurry in to snag a seat at the bar, then savor every second. Make dinner reservations online.

Babalu Tapas & Tacos to Bring Latin-Inspired Sharing-Style Fun to Midtown, Opens First Atlanta Location in June

Midtowners will soon be singing "Babalú" for their supper while enjoying conversation, camaraderie and good times at Babalu Tapas & Tacos, opening in late June in the Midtown 33 Peachtree Place mixed-use development (West Peachtree Street at Peachtree Place). Named after the signature song of Desi Arnaz’s character Ricky Ricardo in the television series “I Love Lucy,” Babalu sambas in with a sharing-style dining experience of made-from-scratch, Latin-inspired dishes with Southern touches. The Jackson, Mississippi-founded restaurant company with local offices in Roswell, Georgia, already has six existing locations throughout the Southeast. No two Babalus are alike, drawing inspiration from locally sourced ingredients for made-from-scratch dishes and handcrafted cocktails. The large outdoor dining patio offers a sociable setting to share starters, soups and salads, chef-inspired small plates, tacos, sandwiches, sides and desserts. Specifics? Think signature guacamole made tableside with Hass avocado, sun-dried tomato, red and green onion, kosher salt, cilantro and lime juice, served with house chips; pan-roasted redfish, rösti potatoes, smoked corn pico de gallo and red chili butter sauce; De Pato Taco with duck confit, avocado mousse, yellow onions, Cotija cheese, lime vinaigrette and cilantro; and Creole shrimp and grits made with Gulf shrimp, garlic, herb Creole sauce, mushrooms, cilantro, Coldwater Creek grits and served with grilled country bread. Margaritas, sangria, signature cocktails and a curated tequila selection accompany local craft beers and wines by the glass and bottle, all to be enjoyed with friends at tables or at the indoor/outdoor bar. Babalu, looking forward to meeting, eating and drinking with you!

#Foodgram: Shingo Gokan

Bar none, here’s high proof Himitsu cocktail maestro Shingo Gokan @SoberSpeaker has as much talent with the camera lens as he does creating new mixed drinks. Some pics are laughable tongue in cheek, others swizzle in cocktails of “dirty” mango, kiwi in cordial or straw in coconut.

Will It Go Round in Circles? Sublime Doughnuts’ New “Will it Doughnut?” YouTube Series Spins New Flavors

Las Vegas has its roulette tables. Sublime Doughnuts owner Kamal Grant has his Wheel O’ Doughnuts for a fun bit of gourmet “gambling” in deciding new doughnut flavors. Grant spins the Wheel O’ Doughnuts to land on wacky new flavor options and shares the sweet spin through a new weekly YouTube episode, “Will it Doughnut?” Each week’s decisive spin winds up as the following week’s featured far-out doughnut. Every Monday, purchase the featured funky flavor at the West Midtown store. Drool-worthy Starburst yay or curious lotion-flavored nay, they’re all good. Grant has a way of making everything taste delicious. Need a doughnut fix? In addition to the flagship store in West Midtown, Sublime has a store in North Druid Hills and will open two locations in the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium.