Celebrities keep Umi on their Atlanta restaurant radar. Actress Michelle Pfeiffer and a guest were spotted dining at the Buckhead jewel on Oct. 18, enjoying Miyabi Omakase and Itami. Good call, Michelle. Miyabi Omakase gives diners a full scope of Umi delicacies, coursing through the chef selection with premium soup, starter, sashimi plate, a hot dish, assorted nigiri and dessert.
Early birds may get a chance to be seen out on the dining scene when “Atlanta Eats” films a segment at Aria on Wednesday, Nov. 8. The Atlanta Eats crew will slide in toward the beginning of dinner service, around 5:30 p.m. Wonder what seasonal, daily specialties Aria owner and executive chef Gerry Klaskala will create for the camera? Which desserts will Aria pastry chef Kathryn King prepare to wow diners? Perhaps warm chocolate cheesecake, Georgia Fuji apple upside-down cake or vanilla panna cotta with rabbiteye blueberry compote. Surely Aria general manager and head sommelier (a.k.a. the wine guru) Andres Loaiza will pop in and maybe show off the Aria wine cellar. Ah, lucky hosts, sneaking in bites of Aria delights -- all in a day’s work. Reserve your table now for the lights, camera and action using Aria’s new reservation system, Reserve.
Chefs from 5Church Atlanta, Aria, Brine Seafood Shack, Chicken and the Egg, Marlow’s Tavern, Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails, Ormsby’s, Revival, Seed Kitchen + Bar, Storico Fresco Alimentari and other top Atlanta restaurants are headed to Foxhall Resort & Sporting Club this Sunday, Nov. 5 to serve their specialties under the big-top tents at the 17th annual Afternoon in the Country hosted by Les Dames d’Escoffier International. Farmers from our area’s best farms will pair up with chefs alongside fine wines and premium microbrews for this 1-4 p.m. tasting-style event. Foxhall, near Douglasville, is a short 35-minute drive from downtown Atlanta -- making for a deliciously idyllic Sunday afternoon field trip. Entertainment sprawls on Foxhall’s expansive lawn with live music by Theresa Hightower and her jazz band, a cake raffle featuring sweets from Atlanta’s best pastry chefs and an expansive silent auction offering dining and travel packages and food and wine merchandise. Buy tickets online, $125 for adults 21 and over. Note: there are no children’s activities at this year’s event.
Darkness falls an hour earlier after Daylight Savings Time clocks in on Nov. 5 (on the bright side, sunrise checks in earlier as well). Doing the math, there are still only 24 hours in a day. Those looking for some Xtra Time will find it at their nearby Taco Mac. The spot for cold beer and hot wings is celebrating the time change by tapping into Xtra Time, a core American Session beer from New Holland Brewing Company, Nov. 4-5. Brewniversity credit applies to your Xtra Time purchase. Spot on at all locations except Philips Arena, Virginia-Highland, Suwanee, Douglasville and Stockbridge. “Hour” advice? Use time wisely by adding Xtra Time to your weekend at Taco Mac.
New do? Make that plural. Henri’s Bakery & Café and its neighbors at Andrews Square at West Village in Buckhead show off their fabulous new looks at a center-wide Sip + Stroll cocktail party on Thursday, Nov. 2. Stop by from 5:30-7:30 p.m. to enjoy live music, wine tastings and delicious bites. Henri’s Bakery & Café moved to Andrews Square from its historic Irby Avenue location this past summer. Henri’s gorgeous environs are enhanced by their own cases of beautifully made fresh-baked pastries, scones, rolls, croissants, cupcakes, cakes and pies. Pick up made-to-order deli sandwiches, soups and salads for an easy dinner or head start on next-day lunch. One can always earn brownie points by taking a box of Henri’s brownies and cookies to the office on Friday.
Adults trick-or-treating across the local web to unmask Atlanta’s best gobblin’, brews, boo-zing, monster-mash music and costume parties can howl with glee. Just “knock” here to open the door revealing a thorough list of Halloween happenings all over town. Thrills and chills guaranteed!
Panini Perfection proves indispensable when you’re pressed for time and short on quick meal inspirations. Pair up breads and fillings for a seemingly infinite array of melty-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside sandwiches. Think pork with rapini, Philly cheesesteak, chicken pesto, Reubens and Cubans. Valiant veggie picks include eggplant with balsamic sun-dried tomatoes, cheesy hummus and veggies, lean green portobello-panini, brie-fig-pear and blueberry-basil-goat cheese. Could apple pie be the inspiration for honey, apple, cheddar and bacon panini? Kids’ classic PBJ is reborn as peanut butter and banana panini with honey and cinnamon that could easily become your cool weather, post-run recovery snack.
When life gets complicated, Food Minimalist stays focused on keeping things simple, with short ingredient lists and fewer dishes to clean as most recipes are bowl-centric. Lucie Lee’s collection captured a spot on Saveur’s 20 Favorite Food Instagram of 2016.
Rough day? You need the Southern comfort of classic chicken ‘n dumplings ($11) on the lunch menu at Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland. Claim every morsel and drop of this feel-good food before setting out, pleasingly satiated, to take on the rest of the day.
Imaginative cocktails are turning heads toward the lively bar area of Bulla Gastrobar in Midtown. Skilled mixologists create handcrafted cocktails with high-quality spirits and syrups made from scratch, top-shelf beer and wine selections woo purists, and three made-to-order sangrias -- traditional, sangría blanca, and sangría de cerveza -- are right in sync with Bulla’s Barcelona tapas bar-meets-urban loft vibe. So, what to order? Ever had a “Spritz on Skates”? October’s featured cocktail has won a strong following of cocktailers smitten by the bubbly blend of Aperol, Absolut vodka, cava, soda water and fresh-made lemongrass syrup ($11). Bulla shares its recipe for those who want to skate their way toward home spritzing…but it won’t be quite the same as sipping and socializing at a Spanish tapas bar. Recipe: Start with a wine glass and build over ice, mixing 1 ounce Absolut, 1 ounce Aperol, ½ ounce lemongrass syrup and 2 ounces soda water. Fill glass with cava and garnish with orange peel sticking out of glass. Delightfully simple, neat and bubbly to support, not suppress, Bulla’s tasty tapas.
