Shave $1 Off Beverages after 1 p.m. at Perks Coffee

Perks Coffee has an antidote for afternoon drowsies: a perk-me-up of $1 off any beverage after 1 p.m. any day of the week. Sneak out and grab a cuppa real, fresh ground and brewed coffee (not the break room insta-blend) for the office, plop down with your laptop (free Wi-Fi) and plow through the workload without office distractions or latch onto a cup to nurse on the long ride home. Perks uses locally roasted beans from Rev Coffee for a rich cup of joe that’s spot on with locally made bakeries and pastries. The Windy Hill - Marietta coffee shop serves a whole “latt-a” coffees, lattes, macchiatos, Cuban coffee, cold brews, hot and iced teas, hot chocolate and smoothies. Stop by and “chai” one on.

Perks Coffee’s Weekly Specials Pump Up Your Work Week and There’s Free Wi-Fi

To caffeinate or not to caffeinate? Perks Coffee, located at 3000 Windy Hill Road near I-75 and The Battery Atlanta, energizes your workday either way with coffees, teas, breakfast and lunch specials plus free Wi-Fi to boot. And, with Perks’ new loyalty program, earn a star for every dollar or more purchase. Redeem 10 stars for a free coffee or espresso item. Stop in for a powerful breakfast for the low price of $3.99, including a bagel with cream cheese, an oatmeal or a turkey sausage and egg white muffin plus a regular coffee. Lunch combos launch fruitful afternoons made possible by a choice of Boar’s Head ham or turkey sandwich or a vegan wrap, chips and drink for only $6.99. Face it, working from home, all alone, can get lonely, and there are all of those “honey-do” list distractions. Perk up, plug in and log on to efficiently work your way down the list or crank out that proposal. Open weekdays 7 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

#Foodgram: Wake Up and Smell the Coffee

Coloring books are all the rage to center, focus and regain calm after a stressful day. For caffeinated artistry, connect the dots and visit Baristart where celebrity coffee artist Michael Breach shows off his steady-handed “coffee art.” Breach has dabbled on “Good Morning America,” “Today,” “Rachael Ray,” Food Network, “Nightline” and more. Wake up and smell the coffee because these masterpieces are too good looking to sip. See more “cuppa Joe” art at www.baristart.com.

Happy National Coffee Day Atlanta!

Celebrate National Coffee Day with a fresh brewed cup of Lakehouse Coffee! Established in 1995, Lakehouse Coffee has a following of serious coffee drinkers and highly regarded chefs in the Southeast. You can find and enjoy Lakehouse Coffee at numerous restaurants around Atlanta, including Aria, Chick-a-Biddy, Sweet Auburn Barbecue, Seed Kitchen & Bar, Atkins Park and many more.

What’s New on Pinterest

Get your caffeine fix on this week’s Pinterest board, Coffee, coffee, coffee! Think outside the mug and grind these beans into some mochaca tacos, slow cooker coffee pot roast and coffee-crusted steak. 

Ink & Elm Turns One, Pours Coffee for Passers By from 8-10 a.m. Friday, September 12

Mornings are hard, but coffee makes everything better. Ink & Elm is turning one this week and wants to celebrate with you. On Friday morning, September 12, go by the Emory Village restaurant and grab a free cup of joe from 8-10 a.m. If Fridays are your days for sleeping in, remember that this spot offers grab-and-go coffee and breakfast bites any day of the week.

Ink & Elm opens at 7 a.m. for the early birds and serves Intelligentsia coffee then satisfies the late risers with casual meals, snacks, cheese and charcuterie through lunch and dinner. But they don't stop there! For weekends and weeknights, stop by for brunch and visit the lounge for libations and raw bar oysters. 

What’s New on Pinterest: Cooking with Coffee

 

For days when one cup of joe in the morning doesn’t cut it, check out our Cooking with Coffee Pinterest board to incorporate coffee into your favorite recipes or spice up your daily cup with something unexpected. Try an iced coffee smoothie on a warm-weather day or spike your mug with tequila for a Mexican-inspired taste. From weekday mocha oatmeal to Sunday brunch Nutella rolls with a coffee glaze, we’ve got you covered in the caffeine department.  

 

Coffee for Early Birds and Dinner for Night Owls at New Bantam + Biddy in Midtown

Early birds in Midtown Atlanta now have another reason to celebrate! Newly opened Bantam + Biddy is serving coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner and adult beverages seven days a week at Crescent Avenue and 12th Street. Meet up for business and a power breakfast of fried chicken and waffles or a pastured three-egg omelet. Need a caffeine boost to get the day started? Stop in for a refuel cuppa after a fast morning walk. As does its Ansley Mall sibling, the new eatery features local JB Farms eggs, organic Alabama milk and all-natural and pastured poultry on its menu ($5-$14). Lunch and dinner choices include "meat-and-two" options such as a quarter or half chicken or eco-friendly pork loin, meatloaf made with White Oak Pastures grass-fed beef along with other entrées ($12-$16). Sandwiches range from Southern fried chicken or California club to a falafel wrap. A mighty salad line-up features the "Power House" topped with egg, roasted broccoli, sprouts, organic almonds and other goodies, and an organic spinach salad with quinoa, apples and goat cheese, among others. Gluten-free seekers will find plenty to please. Sides and desserts make for even more satisfaction. Little Cluckers, 10 and under, enjoy a special $8 menu featuring fried chicken tenders, rotisserie chicken, whole wheat quesadilla and other kid favorites with organic juice or milk. Gotta go? Call in to the carry-out counter (404-835-6450), and with 30 minutes notice, your "Family Meal" ($45) for three to five people is ready to go, with rotisserie chicken, meatloaf or 24-ounce roasted pork loin, an organic green salad, jalapeño cornbread, choice of dressing, three sides and a half-gallon of freshly brewed tea.

Easy roosting -- enter Bantam + Biddy directly from the 1010 Midtown parking garage on Crescent Avenue; the first two hours of parking are free. Weekdays, the espresso bar pours Batdorf & Bronson coffee beginning at 6:30 a.m., and the restaurant begins serving breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Doors open at 8 a.m. weekends. The restaurant is open until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday night, 10:30 p.m. on Friday and 10 p.m. on Saturday.

Appetizing Aperture

Did you know March is National Caffeine Awareness Month? This is a GREAT excuse for us coffee lovers to branch out and try a different blend, coffee shop or restaurant. If you have yet to try Seven Lamps in the Shops Around Lenox, or even if you're a regular, it's worth the visit to grab a cup of Joe from their extensive coffee program. Featuring Batdorf & Bronson coffee, the restaurant offers "bottomless" mugs, iced, café au lait or steamer-style and in various espresso modes. Don't forget to nibble on one of their pastries while you're at it! 

Aria hosts Chef Thomas Keller for Bouchon Bakery Book Tour and Tasting

Mondays during the holiday season are reminiscent of weekend shopping and cooking. Not many have motivation and plowing through work seems to drag out the day. Why not take a mid-morning break to meet and taste with one of America’s finest chefs, Thomas Keller (of French Laundry, Per Se, Ad Hock, Bouchon and Bouchon Bakery.) Aria was specifically chosen by Keller as his only Atlanta Bouchon Bakery book signing because of the outstanding baking abilities of Pastry Chef Kathryn King. This Monday December 3 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., sample a variety of pastries and desserts straight from the pages of the book , prepared by Keller, King and Sebastian Rouxel, co-author and executive pastry chef for Thomas Keller Restaurant Group. A perfect way to start your week, the midday meet and greet is $35 a person and includes sweet treats, coffee, and mimosas. Copies of the book are available for purchase for $50. Tickets are available online.

Have No Fear, Smashburger's Coffee Shake is Here

Super Bowl Sunday is the perfect excuse to eat, drink and spend time with friends and family. Football rivalries are played out; TV commercials get more elaborate by the year; the half-time show always leaves us gasping and to top it all off, we get to eat and drink like it doesn’t count because it’s a “holiday.”

Reality check… Monday is a work-day! But have no fear folks, Smashburger always has our backs and have created the perfect pick-me-up, the coffee shake, to help us face the day. New to the menu on Monday, February 6, this java-nated treat is hand-spun using Häagen-Dazs ice cream and a jolt of the strong stuff. The $4.29 shake will be on the menu through March 25.

This time Atlanta-area Smashburger locations have outdone themselves. Not only have they created the perfect coffee shake, but they also have a great money-saving cling-on ad on the front page of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution today. Any purchase more than $5 saves $2!

Get Your Caffeine Kick and Your Sugar Fix at Krispy Kreme in Columbus, GA for National Coffee Day

What better way to get through the work day than with a couple sips of caffeine and a few nibbles of sugar! In honor of National Coffee Day, September 29th, “on the house” literally means a free 12-ounce cup of House Blend Coffee from Krispy Kreme Doughnuts in Columbus, GA, and a free Hot Original Glazed® Doughnut too (And you thought cops were on top of the shop again)! Whether you are just passing by, or specifically heading to Krispy Kreme to cash in on this sweet deal, stop in or drive through for a complimentary cup and its perfect pairing, one of Krispy Kreme's sweet signature glazed doughnut.

The offer is limited to one complimentary coffee and doughnut per customer on September 29; no purchase necessary. This special is only at the Krispy Kreme at 6761 Veterans Parkway in Columbus, Ga.

Coffee Talk

LW Chocolatier, the boutique chocolate shop in Buckhead, is adding even more European style to its selection by offering assorted coffees, espressos, cappuccinos and lattes. With LW’s newly-added patio seating and beverage offerings, you can get a taste of Europe right in the heart of Buckhead. Add a few truffles to your espresso and some prime people-watching and you've got yourself an excellent afternoon break! Even better, all coffee drinks range $2 to $5 in price. Did I mention the chocolates? Do yourself a favor and try the dark chocolate Dulce de Leche; you won't regret it.

No Way Mole!

This Wednesday, I got to attend the McDonald’s Perfect Pairing - an event where six culinary students from the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Atlanta competed for a scholarship—Top Chef style. Each student paired an item off of McDonald’s menu with one of their new McCafe drinks. The McCafe items feature drinks such as an iced mocha, latte and cappuccino. Each pairing was then presented to a panel of judges who tasted and scored each student’s entry.

Needless to say I was skeptical from the beginning. To be honest--I just can’t imagine sitting down to eat lunch and thinking that a latte would best complement my chicken nuggets. Admittedly, I am a coffee snob and addict--yet some things just don’t work well with coffee. Yet, I was pleasantly surprised to see how much innovation and thought went into some of the pairings that the culinary students presented.

Some of the students paired what I found to be more common sense items together. For example, an iced caramel latte with an apple walnut salad, or a bacon, egg and cheese with hot chocolate. Neither of these seemed too far out of the realm of a normal meal. One student, Phillip McCrillis, branched out and truly impressed me... it also seemed to be the one meal the judges continued to nibble at while scoring and listening to Phillip talk.

Phillip’s pairing, No Way Mole, was a winner, not only in my book but also for the judges who selected Phillip as the winner. He paired a Southwestern chicken sandwich (Southwest BBQ sauce on the side), baked apple pie with vanilla ice-cream adorned with a crushed sugar cone on top, with an iced mocha. He came upon the flavor as he was experimenting with different menu items and put all of these items in his mouth at the same time. With all the items together he exclaimed “No way mole!" Mole is a popular Mexican sauce tinged with a chocolate flavor that Phillip swears you can recreate with these common McDonald’s items.


Congratulations Phillip on your scholarship! For all of you who didn’t see Phillip’s pairing, head on over to McDonald's and experiment with your own pairings of the new McCafe--the options are endless.

SIP The Political Experience

I don’t remember politics being so prevalent in the news (and everywhere you turn) in the past. So, when my favorite french pressed java joint, SIP, announced that it would host a fundraiser for presidential candidate, Barack Obama, I decided to see what all the hype was about. The turnout was great! I saw lots of important looking people, so I decided to whip out my camera so I could look more important. I met and took pictures of several people, including Kimmy Cantrell (pictured left). An enormously talented sculptor, Kimmy was gracious enough to donate several pieces to the event’s live auction, which are valued at over $10,000. The crowd was enthusiastic and the lavendar pistachio hot chocolate was heavenly! It was easy to see how people get into politics; especially with those cute “Obama Mama” baby t-shirts, which were sold out early in the evening.