American Cut, Smokebelly BBQ and The Southern Gentleman Burgermaster Their Way into Atlanta Magazine’s Best Burger Battle October 15

Infiniti and Atlanta magazine join forces to back their first Best Burger Battle, a showdown of almost two dozen of the best local burger joints, bourbon, blues and brews in the ATL. American Cut, Smokebelly BBQ and The Southern Gentleman are practicing their patties and flips for the action heating up The Shops Buckhead Atlanta on Saturday, October 15 from 1-5 p.m. Tickets are $50 each, inclusive of unlimited tastes, beer and bourbon. Cast votes for the People’s Choice Best Burger and see if the Atlanta magazine judges panel chooses the same as Best Burger Battle 2016 victor. Buy tickets online for this epic burger-rama. Open to ages 21 and over.

#Foodgram

“H” stands in the gap between “wine” and “whine.” For Evan Mah, food editor at Atlanta magazine, the “h” must represent happiness because he “wines a lot.” Self-admission. From the looks of his Instagram posts, wine, pizza and charcuterie also pave his path to bliss. 

Appetizing Aperture

The Pig & The Pearl made Atlanta magazine's December 2014 "Best of" list for new barbecue places! The Atlantic Station restaurant throws a smokin' hot Saturday and Sunday brunch as well. Even on a cold morning, soul satisfying fried eggs and Yard Bird home fries with caramelized onion and yogurt sauce ($10) will keep your sunny side up. Sunday Funday brunch-y drink specials include $15 pitchers of mimosas, $24 pitchers of paloma and Dark and Stormy cocktails and $7 house bloody marys.  

#Foodgram of the Week: @atlantamagazine

Atlanta magazine has been buzzing about town since 1962, well before Instagram was the new hotness. Fortunately for us, Atlanta's trusted digest hasn't rested on its laurels; These days, the latest trends and happenings are only a click away. Check them out on Instagram at @atlantamagazine, then flip through more even more online.

Atlanta Magazine Stirs Up March Madness with Final Fork Voting

    

Before basketball brackets start making their way around the office, cast your vote for your favorite Atlanta restaurant in Atlanta magazine's Final Fork competition. The tournament started with 64 of Atlanta's top restaurants divided into four categories - "Gastropubs and Bars," "High Rollers," "Global Eats" and "Southern, Dressed Up or Down Home." Help your picks advance by voting for Round 2 contenders by 11 p.m. on Thursday, March 14. Our personal picks to go all the way include JCT. Kitchen & Bar, The Optimist and South City Kitchen.
Final round of voting concludes at 11 p.m. on Thursday, April 11. To vote, sign up to be an Atlanta magazine Insider. Each week you vote, you'll be entered to win one of four $100 gift certificates to the Final Fork restaurant of your choice. One grand-prize winner will score a Big Green Egg smoker and a bottle of Richland Rum.

Vote for Aria and Others in Atlanta Magazine's "Best of Atlanta"

Before November's Election Day comes voting for some of Atlanta's most-delectable candidates in Atlanta magazine's annual "Best of Atlanta" poll. Aria is up for a "Best of" award, and voters can select the "other" option to vote for more of their own favorites. Hurry! Voting concludes October 15.

Do the Market Mash-Up at Peachtree Road Farmers Market

At the second annual Market Mash-Up at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market on Saturday, October 15, you'll benefit from a 10-team draft uniting farmers and purveyors of locally made food.  From 9 a.m. to noon, guests will sample tempting dishes from teams you've surely heard of, such as Spotted Trotter, Red Queen Tarts, Indian Ridge, Hope's Gardens, Riverview Farms, H&F Bread, Greenleaf Farms and more.  Two hundred and fifty tasting tickets are available and will be for sale at $5 each (buys tasting of all 10 dishes) starting at 9 a.m.  Tasting runs from 10-11 a.m. or until sold out.  Guests fork up samples, vote for favorites and pick up recipes of the Mash-Up dishes.  Celebrity judges will choose a victor among the 10 teams.  This year's judges include Kim Severson, Atlanta bureau chief of The New York Times and author of Spoon Fed; Christiane Lauterbach, dining critic forAtlanta magazine and Knife & Fork; Jennifer Zyman, editor of The Blissful Glutton and Eater Atlanta; and Emily Smith, CNN Eatocracy contributor. 

More than 50 silent auction items will be up for bid that morning.  The event pays forward, helping fund the market's 2012 city permit fees and city-required police officer.  The PRFM is the largest producer-only market in metro Atlanta, meaning that everything at the market has been grown, raised or made by the seller and ensuring fair prices for both vendor and consumer.  Lauren Carey, PRFM manager, sums it up, "Accessibility to fresh local produce is a gift; it means so much more to shake the hand of the farmer that grew the vegetables on your dinner plate." 

It's Time to Meet the Best of the Best

It's great to be good at something, but there is nothing like being the best. Atlanta magazine celebrates those who beat out the rest at this year's "Best of Atlanta" party from 7-10 p.m. on Monday, February 16 at Cobb Galleria Centre. Winners for 2008 were published in their December issue, and now it's time to meet their chefs and sample their divine dishes. More than 40 of Atlanta's top restaurants will be at the annual tasting extravaganza, including Fogo de Chão with its mouthwatering meats and skilled gauchos. Complimentary cocktails, live entertainment and an impressive silent auction all add to a winning evening...especially for Camp Twin Lakes, recipient of the night's proceeds. Tickets are $60 per person. VIP ticket, $125 per person, gains 6 p.m. admission. To purchase tickets, click here.

Camp Twin Lakes provides places and paths for children with serious illnesses and life challenges to experience the joys of childhood and to grow in their confidence and capabilities. Watch the Camp Twin Lakes' camp video!

Who's the Best?

Atlanta magazine's Best of Atlanta party was last night at the Cobb Galleria Centre, and, in terms of restaurants, it really was the best of Atlanta! All the hot spots were there, including Ecco, Fogo de Chao, the GLOBE and Watershed. Yum!

The Cobb Galleria isn't my first choice for an event like this; as my favorite GLOBE bartender said, "it has no soul." BUT, that certainly didn't keep the crowds away; by 8:30 p.m. most of the top restaurants were already out of food?!

Some of the standout dishes from the evening included GLOBE's Campari sorbet with homemade lemon sugar cookies, Via Elisa's sweet potato gnocchi, and Watershed's custard with blood orange sauce. I'm sure I would have loved Ecco's dish too, but it must have been everyone's favorite since they were totally out by the time I got there. Fogo served mini-bites of bacon-wrapped filet, lingucia sausage and beef ancho. The linguica sausage has always been my preferred cut of meat at Fogo, and it was just the right mix of salty and spicy to temper all the sweet treats of the evening.

Overall, it was a tasty evening out!