Give Winter the Cold Shoulder, Slurp Soup

When it’s raw outside, nothing thaws hands and mellows the soul like a bowl of steaming hot soup. Join us as we lift lids and peek into stockpots to see what’s simmering at, stewing around metro Atlanta.

Blow off downtown’s wind chill by ducking into JP Atlanta and savoring a bowl of onion soup “1967” served au gratin ($12) -- a starter on the All-Day Dining menu.

Looking for a rosy glow in Midtown? It’s found in Article 14’s lycopene-rich tomato bisque with whipped crème fraîche and basil ($7).

Zucca, may rhyme with Bazooka, but the golden butternut squash soup with winter pesto and mascarpone ($5) at Bellina Alimentari in Ponce City Market is oh so much more satisfying and good for you.

Brace yourself with homestyle chili dolloped with sour cream and cheddar ($5) at Chick-a-Biddy before total immersion in an adrenaline-pumping movie or shopping at Atlantic Station.

Expect a heated debate over which Vietnamese soup is best when slurping with friends at Le Fat in Midtown. Three top competitors: Le Fat Pho (beef noodle, $12), Pho Ga (chicken noodle, $10) or Bún Bo Hue (spicy beef, $12).

A cup or bowl of tomato bisque ($4.95/$6.95) at HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern hits home after a brisk walk or jog around Piedmont Park. Even better, order the grilled cheese and tomato bisque combo ($11.95) sporting a sandwich oozing havarti, Parmesan and fontina cheeses for dunking.

Pining for that something smoky in a bowl, not on a bun? Get stoked for vegetarian smoked tomato bisque at 10th & Piedmont ($4/$6) with buttermilk biscuit croutons, Parmesan cheese and fried basil. A gluten-free option is available.

At Saltwood Charcuterie & Bar in Midtown, enjoy a bowl of butternut squash soup with chicharrones (pork rinds), lemon and cilantro ($6) before sharing a board laden with locally made cheese or charcuterie.

In Virginia-Highland, Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar OKs “playing with your food,” i.e., toying around with the crisp garlic croutons floating atop their creamy tomato basil soup ($3/$5).

Like everything about Aria in Buckhead, creamless celery root soup with Umbrian black truffles and Parmigiano-Reggiano reflects pure elegance in every detail ($12).

True Southerners chowing down at Smokebelly BBQ in Buckhead can’t pass up a meaty bowl of Brunswick stew with house-made crackers for crumbling or dipping ($4.50).

When you’re craving a bit of soothing FlexMex mojo, stop by the closest Tin Lizzy’s Cantina for a cup of chicken tortilla soup, seasoned tomato broth dancing with chicken breast, corn, jack cheese, tortilla strips, avocado and chopped cilantro ($2.69).

Scuba-doobie-do dive into Caribbean lobster bisque at The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill in Buckhead or Roswell. Each cup or bowl of this slightly sweet and island-spicy bisque swims with lobster and blue crab in a tomato sea ($4.95/$6.95).

Heady roast chicken and vegetable stew, available at all Bantam + Biddy locations, sustains souls for the long haul with fresh herbs, tender potatoes and a cheery cheddar biscuit topper ($12.50).

Even if “Burrito” is your middle name, tortilla soup calls out at Willy's Mexicana Grill locations. A favorite by the bowl ($4.75) or as an entrée add-on ($2.95).

Sushi may be on your mind at Roswell’s Aqua blue but don’t overlook the miso soup rich with fresh vegetables, tofu and mushrooms for $5. Hearty soup du jour choices alternate between loaded baked potato soup and clam chowder ($5).

Spoon into a cup or bowl of seafood gumbo with white rice ($7/$9) at Ray’s on the River and watch the Chattahoochee carry your cares away.

Across the river in East Cobb, Seed Kitchen & Bar spikes its nourishing roasted butternut squash soup with maple cream and sprinkles on toasted pumpkin seeds for a crunchy contrast ($7.95).  

Appetizing Aperture: The Key to the Holidays Old Fashioned

Article 14 holds The Key to the Holidays, and it comes in a glass. The holiday-themed old fashioned jingles together Larceny bourbon, apple liqueur and rich “Holiday” syrup ($12). Come on over and don’t bother ringing the bell, the door to holiday merriment is already wide open. 

Atlanta Restaurants Handle the Details with Dine-in, Takeaway and Catering Ideas for the Holidays

During the next two hectic weeks, even elves need elves (or Jedi) to assist with the open-ended questions and those pesky details like what to feed family and friends on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We have the answers wise, yet time-strapped, men and women seek: a well-honed list of Atlanta restaurants with holiday menus and catering and takeaway ideas to light the way through Christmas on toward 2016. We suggest moving dining reservations to the top of your list and using the phone numbers listed. Find more catering and takeaway solutions on our blog. 

Hams, pies and cakes from Revival sure come in handy when everyone’s eating at your place Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Hickory-smoked Heritage Farms Cheshire pork hams weigh in at around 10 pounds each and serve 20-25 people. Priced at $10 per pound, hams come sliced through to the bone for easy serving. Santa’s not the only one with a sweet tooth. Visions of Revival’s famous nine-inch lemon icebox pie ($45) and awesome chocolate cake ($55) will dance in Christmas memories (because there won’t be any leftovers). Order hams by December 20 for December 23 pickup. Desserts require 48-hour notice and may be picked up any time before December 23. Call 470-225-6770 to place orders, credit card required.

Christmas Eve

10th & Piedmont presents a special Christmas Eve menu from 5-10 p.m. including lobster bisque; cranberry and Camembert salad; an entrée of seared coffee-dusted duck breast with Chambord demi-glace or almond pesto-crusted Scottish salmon; and red velvet cake. $29.95 per person. Beverages, tax and gratuity not included; call 404-602-5510.

For a peaceful evening amid twinkling candlelight and crystal, reserve seats for a Christmas Eve dinner at Aria, Gerry Klaskala’s Buckhead destination for creative American cuisine. Dinner service begins at 5 p.m.; call 404-233-7673for reservations.

Open on Christmas Eve, Article 14 shines as the place to go for drinks or dinner before or after being dazzled by the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Garden Lights Holiday Nights, which also is open Christmas Eve. The Midtown restaurant pours festive Holiday Cheer cocktails including The Key to the Holidays old fashioned ($12; see Appetizing Aperture for details) and Portside at Six featuring Michter’s American whiskey, Carpano Antica Formula vermouth, Fonseca port, Bitter End Memphis BBQ bitters and Boker’s bitters ($12). Call 404-443-8432.

"Twelve Days of Biddy" ends on December 24 at Bantam + Biddy and Chick-a-Biddy with $3 sliders available until closing (2 p.m. at Bantam + Biddy Crescent; 3 p.m. at Bantam + Biddy Ansley; or 6 p.m. at Chick-a-Biddy and Bantam + Biddy Avalon and Lenox Square).

Honor Santa’s trusty team by enjoying the December burger of the month at both Atlanta FLIP burger boutique locations, open until 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve. “The Rudolph" is a deer burger (venison steak and game seasoning) with blackberry ketchup, baby kale, pickled grape tomatoes, red onion-juniper jam and tomme cheese snow. Comes with gingerbread-spiced potato twigs -- shoestring potatoes with brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and clove. Chase it down with December’s featured shake, "Deer Tracks" -- chocolate ice cream, liquid nitrogen whoppers, salted caramel, balsamic reduction and vanilla whipped cream.

Kevin Gillespie’s Gunshow will be open and seating its last reservations for the evening at 8:30 p.m. Customary table-side rotation of chefs’ selections carries a holiday-themed menu with items such as roast beast, Peking duck and ham along with premium wines and cocktails to mark the occasion. Reservations: 404-380-1886.

Stop by Le Fat, Guy Wong's West Midtown Vietnamese brasserie, on Christmas Eve for the addictive garlic chili prawns or a bowl of comfort food like thit kho, brimming with caramelized pork belly, pickled mustard greens, braised egg and grilled scallions. Call 404-439-9850.

A nice adult beverage, like the Holiday Spice martini at Marlow’s Tavern, does wonders after a hectic day of last-minute shopping. The merry martini mixes vanilla vodka, rye whiskey, RumChata and St. Elizabeth allspice dram, served on the rocks or frozen, and is garnished with fresh grated nutmeg. Good tidings -- all Atlanta-area locations of Marlow's are open normal hours on Christmas Eve.

Saltwood Charcuterie & Bar unwraps a special Saltwood Christmas prix fixe menu for family style Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dining. View the complete menu here. Served from 5:30-10 p.m. $65 per person. Complimentary valet parking. Call 404-745-5745.

Christmas Day

Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland offers a classic Christmas dinner with a prix fixe menu featuring Big Green Egg-smoked turkey breast with caramelized apple and sage stuffing in a cider gravy; braised pork shoulder with roasted root vegetable in a bourbon glaze; green bean casserole with crispy onions and roasted mushrooms; roasted garlic mashed potatoes and sweet potato biscuits. Since Santa ate your cookies, you can enjoy Southern pecan pie or peppermint cheesecake for dessert. $28 for adults, $18 for young adults and $10 for children under 10. Doors open at 6 p.m. Highly recommend making reservations; call 404-876-7249.

HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern  in Midtown will be open for regular hours on Christmas Day offering up their unique selection of cocktails, including the Knock Knock Who Is There: rye, balsamic, basil and ginger ($10). 

Dance for joy, it’s Christmas! Johnny’s Hideaway, the legendary Buckhead nightspot, opens at 7 p.m. on Christmas Day and is serving up its popular menu of appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, entrées and more.  

Looking Good! Article 14, Twin Smokers BBQ and The Big Ketch Take Home Taste of Atlanta “Bests”

In a win-win situation, Article 14 and Twin Smokers BBQ tied for “Best Booth Décor” at this year’s Taste of Atlanta. The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill’s mini lobster roll hooked “Best Taste.” More than 90 restaurants participated in the September 25-27 culinary extravaganza spreading out across Midtown’s Technology Square. Kudos, y’all! 

Stop and Smell the Roses at Article 14 Four Roses Bourbon Dinner

Take a pause from the busy workweek and take part in Article 14’s Four Roses Bourbon dinner on Thursday, October 15. Starting at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail and hors d’oeuvre hour, the evening progresses to a three-course seated dinner paired with Four Roses bourbons including Four Roses Yellow Label, Four Roses Small Batch and Four Roses Single Barrel. Overlooking the scenic Salt River in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, Four Roses has been handcrafting bourbon since 1888 and has been named “American Whisky Distiller of the Year” four of the last five years by Whisky Magazine. Cost is $65 per person (excluding tax and gratuity). Make reservations by calling 404-443-8432.

Stop and Smell the Roses at Article 14 Four Roses Bourbon Dinner

Take a pause from the busy workweek and take part in Article 14’s Four Roses Bourbon dinner on Thursday, October 15. Starting at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail and hors d’oeuvre hour, the evening progresses to a three-course seated dinner paired with Four Roses bourbons including Four Roses Yellow Label, Four Roses Small Batch and Four Roses Single Barrel. Overlooking the scenic Salt River in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, Four Roses has been handcrafting bourbon since 1888 and has been named “American Whisky Distiller of the Year” four of the last five years by Whisky Magazine. Cost is $65 per person (excluding tax and gratuity). Make reservations by calling 404-443-8432.

Make a Splash at Aqua Vino 2015 on October 8

Socialites and sea life mix and mingle during Aqua Vino 2015 on Thursday, October 8, at the Georgia Aquarium. Hosted by television personality, chef and author Alton Brown, this 10^th annual benefit is the aquarium’s premier wine and food fundraiser featuring more than 200 wines from around the world, live and silent auctions and food tastings from more than 30 of the city’s leading restaurants including Article 14, Glenn’s Kitchen, Twin Smokers BBQ, Saltwood Charcuterie & Bar and Stem Wine Bar. Event runs 7-10 p.m. Purchase tickets online ($125-$150 grand tasting; $300-$325 VIP tasting). VIP tasting tickets net a 6 p.m. red carpet arrival, meet and greet with Alton Brown on the red carpet, complimentary valet parking, access to the exclusive VIP lounge with reserve wines and featured tastings and a VIP gift bag valued at $200. Proceeds benefit Georgia Aquarium’s southern sea otter conservation and research initiatives.

Eat Up for $15, $25 or $35 During Midtown Restaurant Week September 5-13

Midtown Atlanta takes the destination dining prize next week when restaurants participating in the 10th annual Midtown Restaurant Week post special prix fixe lunch and/or dinner menus for $15, $25 and $35. Article 14, Bantam + Biddy, Chick-a-Biddy, 10th & Piedmont, HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern and Saltwood Charcuterie & Bar are in the pool of restaurants offering specials over the dates of Saturday, September 5 through Sunday, September 13. Chick-a-Biddy, for example, will offer a $15 three-course dinner menu of pimento cheese with veggies and crackers or home-style veggie chili, a quarter of fresh Carolina chicken (piri piri, jerk or fried) and any dessert on the menu. Article 14’s prix fixe menu shows off a $15 lunch with an entrée and dessert or a three-course dinner for $35 with entrée choices of whole wheat spaghetti with kale and walnut pesto and sheep’s milk feta, grilled Georgia trout or grilled flat iron steak. View menus then make those reservations right away for this popular let’s-eat-out event. 

Get to Know Your Whiskeys, Tequilas and Liqueurs via Article 14 Flight Menu

All bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon. Or scotch. Or rye. The new whiskey flight menu at Article 14distills the nuances down even further by curating a dozen flights featuring small batch bourbons, ryes and scotches, as well as one flight each of tequila and cognac for good measure. Flight prices vary from $15 for a Rosy Sampler of Four Roses Yellow Label, Small Batch and Single Barrel to $52 for 12-, 15- and 18-year Macallan with the option of adding 30-year Macallan for an additional $70. Additional groupings include Third Seat (bourbon), Great White Buffalo or Western Blend (rye), Orphan Barrels, Glenlivet, Dalmore, Islay Sampler or Malted in Japan (scotch) and After Dinner Noir of Cointreau Noir, Grand Marnier and Grand Marnier 150. Flights land at the Article 14 bar in Midtown. Take your seat, please. 

Appetizing Aperture

Forking into a small plate of wild-caught shrimp and lemon risotto with mascarpone and mellow Parmigiano Reggiano ($11) at Article 14 is like savoring a postcard from a friend’s coastal vacation. Each bite invokes images of ocean breezes and sunny citrus, and the overall message is just the right size to digest on a hot summer night. 

Pastured Poultry Week Rules the Roost July 13-20

Pasture-raised birds exhibit a not-so-paltry list of virtues spanning human and flock health, environmental sustainability and flavor. During Pastured Poultry Week, July 13-20, restaurants in Georgia, South Carolina and New York will offer dishes featuring pastured poultry to raise awareness and afford guests opportunities to taste the merits of these birds over factory-farmed chicken. Whether you’re already a pastured poultry devotee or if someone’s henpecking you to try it, note that these Atlanta restaurants will each feature a special dish during Pastured Poultry Week: Aria, Article 14, Bantam + Biddy, Chick-a-Biddy,Glenn’s Kitchen, Gunshow, Seed Kitchen & Bar, Stem Wine Bar and The Southern Gentleman. Check out our blog for more details.

Bantam + Biddy Party Kicks Off Pastured Poultry Week July 8

Pasture-raised birds exhibit a not-so-paltry list of virtues spanning human and flock health, environmental sustainability and flavor. During Pastured Poultry Week, July 13-20, restaurants in Georgia, South Carolina and New York will offer dishes featuring pastured poultry to raise awareness and afford guests opportunities to taste the merits of these birds over factory-farmed chicken. On board with pastured poultry since the get go, Shaun Doty and Bantam + Biddy are kicking off Pastured Poultry Week with a party for chefs from participating restaurants and supportive community members at the Lenox location on Wednesday, July 8 from 7-9 p.m. A limited number of spaces are available for the general public; contact Rebecca.Portman@ciwf.org.

Whether you’re already a pastured poultry devotee or if someone’s henpecking you to try it, note that these Atlanta restaurants will each feature a special dish during Pastured Poultry Week: Aria, Article 14, Bantam + Biddy, Chick-a-Biddy, Glenn’s Kitchen, Gunshow, Seed Kitchen & Bar, Stem Wine Bar and The Southern Gentleman.

Article 14 Monthly Cheese Dinner Presents Nature’s Harmony Farm Handmade Cheeses June 10

Article 14 spreads the word on Georgia cheesemaker Nature’s Harmony Farm at this month’s cheese dinner on Wednesday, June 10. Using Old World techniques, the farm handcrafts cheeses that earn global recognition here in the home state and as far away as England and South Africa on championship circuits. The Elberton farm first forayed into artisanal cheesemaking in 2010. Taking time to hand stir and hand hoop the raw milk cheeses and letting them age slowly and develop natural rinds turns out the distinctive cheeses guests will savor during Article 14 executive chef Chris Blobaum’s four-course dinner with wine pairings. An American Cheese Society certified cheese expert will be at the dinner to answer questions. $45 per person (tax and gratuity not included). Reservations: 404-443-8432.

Article 14 Monthly Cheese Dinner Features Many Fold Farm Sheep Milk Cheeses May 13

Around 200 sheep and 800 chickens cavort on Many Fold Farm, situated in the Chattahoochee Hill Country about an hour southwest of Article 14. (View a daily dose of cute on the Many Fold LambCam.) Many Fold owners Ross and Rebecca ventured to Vermont to soak up knowledge and scale the cheesemaking learning curve before raising ewes to milk for their own farmstead cheeses -- cheeses that have been mentioned in Garden & Gun magazine. For anyone who’s had the wool pulled over their eyes into thinking all cheese comes via cow or goat, this month’s cheese dinner at Article 14 lends a ewe-some chance to sample Many Fold’s organic sheep milk cheeses as part of a four-course dinner with wine pairings. Gather up some bits of wisdom from an American Cheese Society speaker during the evening. $45 per person (not including tax or gratuity). Make reservations online or call 404-443-8432.

Article 14 Docks Prices on Two Renowned Wines on Wine Wednesdays

Photo Credit: Dan Carmody

You be the judge, but we think this is a super deal for Midtown wine aficionados. Turning Wednesdays into Wine Wednesdays, Article 14 offers bottles of Jordan Vineyard & Winery cabernet for $35 (regularly $110 per bottle) and Cakebread Cellars cabernet for $65 (regularly $150 per bottle). Toast savings of 60-70 percent as you share a bottle or two with friends. Small plates and entrées on the Article 14 menu are delicious go-withs!

Article 14 Digs Back to Pre-Prohibition Days for Presidential Seal Cocktail

Another tip-able testimony to the what's-old-is-new-again truism is the Presidential Seal, cocktail of the month at Article 14. A couple of good drinking stories here. Sometimes known as the Seelbach, the libation has glamorous beginnings, being concocted in pre-Prohibition days for high rollers at the Seelbach Hotel (now Seelbach Hilton) in Louisville, Kentucky. Jefferson's Very Small Batch Kentucky bourbon plays a very big part in Article 14's updated rendition. In the Presidential Seal, this bourbon, distilled in "ridiculously small batches," builds a highly drinkable dossier along with Pierre Ferrand dry curacao, Angostura and Peychaud's bitters and Champagne. Distillery founder Trey Zoeller and his dad Chet chose Thomas Jefferson to personify their small batches based on Jefferson's sense of curiosity. Perhaps if Article 14 had been around back in the day, President Jefferson would have imbibed of such and placed his seal of approval on this spirituous, new traditionalist cocktail.

Appetizing Aperture

Precious in taste and price, the Barrel of Jewels cocktail at Article 14 might be "Atlanta's Most Expensive Cocktail" at $99. Lift a crystal whiskey glass to your lips and sip the power of Louis XIII Cognac, Lock, Stock & Barrel straight rye whiskey, Carpano Antica Formula sweet vermouth, St Germain and bitters. You keep the gem of a memory. Article 14 keeps the crystal. 

Article 14 Raises a Glass to Prohibition Repeal Day on December 5

Not pulling your bootleg, Prohibition was repealed on December 5, 1933, meaning after 13 years of Prohibition, Americans enjoyed the right to legally raise a glass of cheer for the holidays. The date became known as Repeal Day, a day to applaud the laws that guarantee our rights as Americans. That's reason enough for Article 14 in Midtown to offer celebratory specials on Friday, December 5, including an old-fashioned cocktail ($12), Waldorf salad ($10), and an entrée of filet en croute bouquetiere de legumes with Madeira sauce (served old school on a silver platter for $29). Celebrate this freedom, because you can!

Look Forward to Midtown Restaurant Week September 6-14

Oh yes, the wonderful week devoted to fantastic food has finally arrived. Midtown Restaurant Week offers brunch, lunch and dinner at $15, $25 or $25 from September 6-14 to satisfy any budget and appetite.

Midtown restaurants such as Article 14, Bantam + Biddy, G’s Midtown, 10th & Piedmont, HOBNOB and The Pig & The Pearl will be serving up some savory dishes. Don’t forget to make reservations on OpenTable! 

No Snow Job: Article 14 Welcomes World’s Only Ski-In Distillery to Whiskey Dinner on August 12

You're invited! Join Article 14 for the High West Distillery Dinner on Tuesday, August 12. At 6:30 p.m., ribs, brisket, chicken and all of the fixins will be perfectly paired with whiskeys from High West Distillery, the world’s only ski-in distillery. Feed your stomach as High West representatives feed your brain with the top-10 most important things to know about whiskey. $50 per person (not including tax and gratuity). For reservations, call 404-443-8432 or reserve your place online. For reservations, call 404-443-8432 or reserve your place online.