"Leaf" it to Atlanta Mixologists to Create Colorful Autumnal Cocktails

Atlanta mixologists harvest colorful concoctions for diners to indulge in this season. "Leaf" it to the best to combine fall flavors for a spectacular cocktail combination for locals and not to enjoy. 

A sampling of libations that restaurants are adding to menus is as followed: 

No need to wish for warm weather because Ray's Restaurants puts a seasonal spin on a tropical favorite. Ray's Fall Mai Tai incorporates Ray's spiced rum, apricot-infused brandy, triple sec, house-made pumpkin spice orgeat syrup and cranberry juice for holiday happiness. Available at Ray's on the River, Ray's on the Creek and Ray's in the City.  

King + Duke keeps it to the classics with its Sherry Cobbler.

South City Kitchen Midtown and South City Kitchen Vinings find inspiration in apple country for their Moonlit Orchard, cobbling together bourbon and apple pie moonshine with local apple cider, a splash of apple bitters and a smoked apple slice.

No. 246 conquers all with a Fall of Rome and Useless Precaution.

Pumpkin lovers, enjoy the fall favorite long after Halloween is gone. Old Vinings Inn captures the Pumpkin Harvest, smooth and sweet with Crop Harvest Pumpkin vodka, Irishman cream, vanilla vodka, a little half-and-half and a smidge of nutmeg.

At Seven Lamps, fly the Crimson Eagle, a blend of Eagle Rare bourbon and fig-infused red wine honey. Other newbies include My Sunup Girl and Shelter from the Storm with a cast of High West double rye, Gran Lusso vermouth, nocino and apple bitters.

The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill fires up Buckhead in the cool of the night. No pain, just Fireball Cinnamon whisky, grapefruit juice and soda.

Over at Ormsby's on Atlanta's westside, the Heavenly Manhattan takes off with Angel's Envy, broVo Amaro No. 1 and Antica Formula sweet vermouth. 

At JCT. Kitchen & Bar, sip The Alpine, Mother Vine or The Boulevard, made with George Dickel Barrel Select whisky and Campari.

Bacon lovers, you won't be disappointed. The Tipsy Pig unites three of The Mill Kitchen & Bar's favorite "Bs" in life -bourbon, brown sugar and bacon. Not to divulge too much, but local Georgia Riverview Farms bacon does hold its own in this Manhattan-style cocktail topped with a house-candied cumin bacon and cherry garnish.

Ecco pulls off The Red Wedding, in which Olivares Dulce Monastrell marries house-made sweet vermouth under the tutelage of Fidencio Mezcal Clasico. How romantic. 

No need to be shy. A cure for being one, Wallflower from The Optimist speaks up with Le Reviseur Cognac VS, Nux Walnut liqueur and Fleur Elderflower liqueur. The Mutiny sails smoothly with beer shrub, George Dickel Barrel Select and Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur.

At Milton's Cuisine & Cocktails, bar manager Ali Davis blends a sweet Fall Bourbon Apple featuring Ridgemont Reserve bourbon and amaretto.

Fifth Group Restaurants: Atlanta Hospitality Hall of Fame Member of the Year Finalist

Fried green tomatoes with goat cheese and red pepper coulis at South City Kitchen Midtown has spoken to Southern heritage and big city sophistication since the restaurant first welcomed guests in 1993. Just visualizing it can make your mouth water. In 1996, Bold American Events opened on the other side of downtown Atlanta in a 100-year-old renovated Westside factory…before trendy became a Westside adjective. Over the years, Fifth Group Restaurants has added more in-town dining destinations: La Tavola Trattoria, Ecco, South City Kitchen Vinings, The Original El Taco, Alma Cocina and Lure. The different cuisines offer something appealing to every type of Atlantan. With such draw, no wonder that the restaurant group is an Atlanta Hospitality Hall of Fame Member of the Year finalist. The 15^th annual Hospitality Hall of Fame celebration will take place on November 12 at The Foundry at Puritan Mill. In addition to honoring Atlanta’s hospitality industry greats, this year’s event will mark the year end celebration of the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (ACVB) 100^th anniversary! Join in a night of celebration and remembrance. The ACVB, Atlanta Business Chronicle and the Georgia World Congress Center trio back this prestigious event. Fill a table with 10 guests for $1,250 or purchase individual tickets for $125 each by emailing Ellie Westman Chin at ewestmanchin@atlanta.net. 

Ecco Goes Gatsby for September 15 Roaring '20s Sunday Share Dinner

Join in on Ecco's Roaring 20's Sunday Share dinner on September 15. Buzzing with flappers, speakeasies, guys and dolls, this Great Gatsby inspired affair is sure to be the "bee's knees." The dinner, starting at 6:30 p.m., has limited seating, so be sure to reserve a seat or two online.  $52 per person includes tax and gratuity ($54.81 with online service fee.) 

Hurray for Prix Fixe Deals During Midtown Restaurant Week

 

There's no time to waste from September 7-15. Midtown Restaurant Week is here and special prix fixe menus are being offered at some of Atlanta's best dining spots. Article 14 posts both a $15 lunch menu and a $35 dinner menu on its docket. Bantam + Biddy in Ansley Mall and Chick-a-Biddy in Atlantic Station are crowing about $15 dinner menus. Ormsby's has plans for a hearty $15 lunch break. Fried green tomatoes, buttermilk fried chicken and banana pudding are three Southern favorites available on the $25 dinner menu at South City Kitchen Midtown. Mediterranean flavors fill the $35 dinner menu at Ecco. Those craving seafood should head over to Lure where the $15 lunch and $35 dinner menus are quite the catch. Come on Atlanta, now is the perfect time to eat your way through Midtown!

Atlantans are Saying "Yes, Please!" to Pastured Poultry

Atlanta restaurants are never too chicken to try something new, and this week is no exception. Pastured Poultry Week is upon us, and ATL’s hottest spots are cooking up dishes that will make mouths water from June 10-16. Diners have the chance to taste the difference that pastured poultry offers, including enhanced flavor, health and environmental benefits. The entire city, including restaurants like Seven Lamps and No. 246, is clucking with excitement! Check out the list of participating restaurants and learn more about pastured poultry at Compassion in World Farming. 

ATL Mixologist Movers and Shakers Vie for ACVB Centennial Cocktail Contest - The Votes Are Up to You

There's no better time than summer for sipping a cocktail on the patio of your favorite Atlanta restaurant. But which mixed drink outshines the rest? You be the judge! Whether your favorite is tequila, vodka or whiskey, ATL-inspired cocktails are taking over the city as mixologists strive to win your vote and have their drink crowned as Atlanta’s “Centennial Cocktail”. We've got a list of must-try cocktails, including some of our favorites like Ecco's Destination South and Ray's in the City's newest concoction, the Atlantamaker. Don’t forget to give your winner the recognition it deserves!

Atlanta Restaurants Take Going Green Beyond Salads on Earth Day and Every Day

We're happy to be celebrating Earth Day today, but why on earth would we limit it to one day out of 365 when Atlanta restaurants have already made the commitment to going green year round? 

 

At Midtown's Ansley Mall, Bantam + Biddy minimizes pasture to plate time by gathering its pastured poultry from regional sources. Their "honey do" list includes raising their own bees to produce honey for the eatery.

BurgerFi® takes the "better burger" movement beyond the kitchen's 100 percent hormone and antibiotic free beef from humanely and sustainably farmed cattle. The Emory Point location follows green practices and kitchen oil recycling to minimize environmental impact. The soon-to-be EarthCraft certified restaurant uses energy, water and resource-efficient building design practices including using sustainably harvested wood, LED lighting, low-flow water fixtures and low-VOC paints and finishes. And your bottom's perched on a bottle. Those chairs you're sitting on while enjoying your burger are made from recycled Coca-Cola bottles.

The sky's the limit for green practices at Midtown's popular Ecco. The Fifth Group Restaurant is the state's first dumpster-free restaurant and the first Georgia restaurant to receive Green Foodservice Alliance certification. Ecco's rooftop garden incorporates cold frame structures covered with Agribon, a material that guards plants from wind, frost, cold and insects, allowing earlier planting dates and a wider variety of produce to be grown. Cedar beds, custom-built by Farmer D Organics, use a drip irrigation system harnessing air conditioning condensation and timer-managed watering. Produce raised goes directly into the restaurant's seasonally inspired menu.

The largest solar barn in the Southeast resides on the largest Certified Organic farm in Georgia -- White Oak Pastures, 2,000 acres strong in Bluffton, Georgia. Owner and fourth-generation cattleman Will Harris follows sustainable practices all around, from the pasturelands' 100 percent Georgia native sweet grasses to the zero-waste processing plant that follows Dr. Temple Grandin's humane animal handling process. Harris' determination to farm a better way is an inspiration to farmers, restaurants and food producers. The farm is Certified Grassfed, Certified Humane, Animal Welfare Approved, Certified Organic and follows Good Management Practices approved by Silliker, Inc. Recognitions for setting farming standards and being dedicated to the sustainability of organic farming in Georgia are many, including 2012 Distinguished Conservationist and the 2012 Les Dames d'Escoffier International Green Ribbon.

Rise and Shine for Easter Brunch, Lunch, Dinner and More

 

Easter springs up early this year on Sunday, March 31. We have a sunny list of Easter feasts for you to choose from. Hop down our list to find the golden egg that's right for you and be sure to make your reservation soon. We wish everyone a Happy Easter!

Roswell residents have plenty to eat this Easter. From 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Aqua blue is serving up everyone's favorites for brunch, including a carving station with roasted strip loin and bone-in ham, entrée station, shrimp cocktails, salad, assorted sushi, smoked salmon, breakfast and omelet station and desserts. Bottomless bloody marys and mimosas are available for $15 for any thirsty guests. Adults eat for $29.95, children 4-12 for $9.95 and children under 4 eat free. Reservations: 770-643-8886

The cluck at Bantam + Biddy in Ansley Mall is about an Easter Sunday feast featuring corned Brasstown ham and gravy, stewed organic black-eyed peas, braised collard greens, Anson Mills grits and sweet potato pie for $20. Bottomless bloody marys and mimosas are poured until 4 p.m. for $10. Regular and special menus are available from 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; brunch is available until 3 p.m.

Marietta's Chicken and the Egg is providing brunch all day long this Easter Sunday. From 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m., the restaurant is offering their regular brunch menu with starters such as crawfish and artichoke bake and pimento cheese. Diners with a sweet tooth can choose bananas Foster French toast or a strawberry waffle. Egg lovers can pick from items like eggs Benedict, "green eggs and ham" or pork belly hash. Reservations: 678-388-8813.

A not-your-mother's Mediterranean-style Easter Sunday brunch is in the plans at Ecco in Midtown from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Choose from a variety of meat and cheese options, one for $4.75, three for $14 or five for $22. Taste-and-share items for the table range from chocolate strudel to mixed olives, and crab fritters with a poached egg and pickled peppers ($4-$13). Appetizers of mixed lettuces, radishes, almonds and tarragon-mustard vinaigrette ($9), grilled red romaine, smoked char, poached eggs and romesco ($14) and potato, leek and chervil soup with poached Georgia shrimp ($9) supplement the wood-fired pizzas, pastas and main dishes, including the San Marzano tomatoes, house-made mozzarella and basil pizza ($13), lasagna with mushroom ragu, béchamel and arugula ($18) and the butcher steak with polenta, asparagus and salsa rosso ($20). Reservations: 404-347-9555.

Sandy Springs dwellers can hop on over to Hearth Pizza Tavern for an Easter meal. Opening at 4 p.m. on Easter day, the restaurant is offering plenty of holiday specials. For more information, call 404-252-5378.

For Passover, Lure Executive Chef David Bradley is making gefilte fish using fresh pollack and Georgia rainbow trout. Enjoy this special dish at the Midtown seafood sensation through April 2. 

Across the Chattahoochee River in Roswell, The Mill Kitchen & Bar invites guests to enjoy an Easter Sunday brunch menu in a farmhouse-style setting. Reservations: 770-817-9345. 

Family-friendly Easter brunching and lunching is in store for Decatur residents at No. 246. Chow on a chicken Parm sandwich, wood-baked ziti and meatballs, mushroom pizza and much more. Children's Easter egg hunts roll out at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. with "waves" for toddlers and adult-free children at each hunt. Lucky locators will win prizes such as a free kids' spaghetti and meatballs plate and more. Reservations: 678-399-8246.

At Olmsted in Midtown, the regular brunch menu and special holiday ham or prime rib entrées will please the Easter Sunday crowd. Starters include lobster bisque, fresh-baked biscuits or the breakfast meat sampler. Mains include a wild mushroom omelette with aged Gruyère, tarragon and fingerling potato hash; brioche French toast with seasonal fruit compote and vanilla bean cream; and eggs Olmsted with poached eggs, toasted English muffin, shaved house-cured Canadian bacon and citrus scallion hollandaise. Wee ones can munch on buttermilk pancakes with a choice of maple, blueberry or banana walnut syrup. Brunch will be served from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Reservations: 404-443-8431.

After all of the egg hunting and hopping around, grown ups can rabbit trail over to RA Sushi Bar Restaurant in Midtown for Sunday night Flying Fish Lounge specials. From 8 p.m. on, choose from more than 35 sushi, appetizer and tapas selections ($2.25-$7.25), plus a wide variety of beer, wine and signature cocktails ($3-$7). Popular Flying Fish Lounge dishes will be served until 11 p.m., and a variety of discounted creative cocktails will be served until midnight.

Bring on the buffet! This Easter, Ray's on the River in Sandy Springs is offering their award-winning Easter buffet from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. on Sunday, March 31. Guests can enjoy assorted breads, a salad bar, omelette station during brunch hours, Virginia ham, prime rib, homemade desserts and plenty more. The buffet is $39.95 for adults and $19.95 for kids ages 5-10. Children 4 and under eat free. Reservations: 770-955-1187. In Alpharetta, Ray's on the Creek is serving a buffet from 9 a.m.-3 p.m., and the regular menu will be available from 5-9 p.m. Adults can dine for $29.95 and kids ages 5-10 can dine for $14.95. Children 4 and under eat free. Reservations: 770-649-0064.

Sunday brunch is always important at South City Kitchen in Midtown and Vinings, and the longtime favorite is serving a three-course prix fixe Easter brunch menu from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. For $32 for adults and $16 for children under 12 (plus tax and gratuity), guests can choose from appetizer options such as house-made pecan granola, fried green tomatoes or a strawberry salad; entrées including buttermilk fried chicken, crab cake hash, BBQ pork Benedict and farmstead vegetables; and dessert of peach cobbler, chocolate velvet Elvis cake or orange buttermilk chess pie. Reservations: 404-873-7358 for the Midtown location; 770-435-0700 for the Vinings location.

Appetizing Aperture: @DiscoverAtlanta’s 100 Signature Dishes

Happy 100 Years of Hospitality, Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau! The organization marked this landmark occasion by building a list of the city's top Atlanta-only signature dishes. The "100 Signature Dishes" list includes hits from lots of our favorite dining spots – we had a hard time picking just one dish to picture here! Now we’re hungry for fried avocado taquito at Alma Cocina, Aria's butter-braised lobster, fried goat cheese with honey and black pepper at Ecco, spaghetti with tomatoes, basil and veal meatballs at La Tavola Trattoria, infamous fish tacos at Marlow's Tavern, fried chicken taco at The Original El Taco, buttermilk fried chicken and fried green tomatoes at South City Kitchen - Midtown, and glazed pork belly with local apples and turnips at Woodfire Grill. Eenie, meenie, and many mo', this week we're picturing....

South meets Southwest in the fried chicken taco at The Original El Taco. The cantina's consistently top-selling taco throws Mexico City grilled corn in chili-lime mayo and crumbled Mexican cheese into the mix and wraps it all up in a warm flour tortilla. 

See how many of these amazing dishes you can fit into your culinary rotation this year – sounds like the right kind of resolution to us!

Ecco Stays on Top of Conservation Goals with Rooftop Garden and Condensation Irrigation

Sophisticated yet casual Ecco in Midtown has always been ahead of the restaurant industry's conservation efforts. Georgia's first dumpster-free restaurant was also the state's first to receive Green Foodservice Alliance (GFA) certification. The Fifth Group Restaurant continues to grow in sustainability and environmental consciousness by adding eight new cedar beds with "cold frame" structures to its rooftop garden, all of which are covered with Agribon protective material. Farmer D Organics custom-built the beds and also installed a new irrigation system with a 250-gallon food-grade tote capable of containing 195 more gallons than the previous rain barrel. All of the water filling the tote is collected from air conditioning condensation and pumped through drip irrigation into the beds. City water and a timer also kick in when needed for optimal moisture. When dining at Ecco be sure to ask what's in season on the roof. Right now, Tuscan kale, broccoli rabe and Southern giant curly mustard are growing for the restaurant's seasonally inspired menu.

Enjoy All the Tastes of Atlanta This Weekend

Streetwise advice for the October 5-7 weekend is to move your mojo to Midtown for Taste of Atlanta surrounding Tech Square. Bantam + Biddy, Ecco, Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub, JCT. Kitchen & Bar, No. 246, The Optimist and Ray's Restaurants are a few of the more than 80 restaurants participating in the big foodie and sampling festival. Chill out with chefs, cocktails and grills gone wild at "The Big Grill" Friday night party at Tech Square. American Spirit Whiskey will shake up cocktails, beer and wine will flow and more than 20 restaurants will be represented at the kick-off event, including Ecco, JCT. Kitchen & Bar, No. 246 and The Optimist.

There's excitement brewing on the Home Plate Main Stage Saturday and Sunday as chefs go spoon to spoon. See Ecco's Craig Richards at 1:45 p.m. and No. 246's Drew Belline at 3 p.m. Saturday. JCT. Kitchen & Bar's Ford Fry will hit the stage Sunday at 12:30 p.m. for "Food that Rocks." The Optimist's Adam Evans will be in The Kitchen Workshop on Saturday at 1:15 p.m. followed by The Cook's Warehouse's Mary Moore at 4 p.m.  Will Harris of White Oak Pastures and Lance Gummere of Bantam + Biddy will lead a poultry session on Sunday at 1:15 p.m. Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub Chef Joey Riley tackles tailgating by building steak sandwiches at 1 p.m. Saturday in The Grill Dome. Some events are over-21 only, but most are family friendly, including the Family Food Zone, which sizzles with fun classes and activities for all ages. Purchase tickets here.

Labors of Love -- These Restaurants Are Open on Labor Day

 White Oak Pastures - Photo by Angie Mosier

Not the grilling type? Look no further than these Atlanta restaurants for your holiday weekend.

Alon's Bakery and Market has almost everything you'll need for that Labor Day cookout -- bread, cheese, chips, snacks, desserts, wine, beer, sides and more. Plan to shop before 4 p.m. (They'll close then so their employees can have a little R&R of their own.) 

For burgers, pick up some White Oak Pastures grass-fed and sustainably raised beef or chicken to throw on the grill! Locally, it's available at Whole Foods Markets and area Publix stores. 

Both Atkins Park Tavern locations (Virginia Highland and Smyrna) will be open, with big screens tackling college football games at the Smyrna location. In Midtown, head for Ecco or RA Sushi Bar Restaurant. 

In Virginia Highland, hit The Original El Taco for chips, guac, Tex-Mex and plenty of cold cervezas and margaritas, or settle in at La Tavola Trattoria for dinner centered on regional Italian fare. On the northern Perimeter, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar will serve from the "5 For $6 'Til 7" menu from lunch through dinner hours. 

Around town, both locations of Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food (Buckhead and Sandy Springs) and all Marlow's Tavern locations will be ready for you and your friends, as well as Ray's in the City and Ray's on the River. Please note that Ray's at Killer Creek will close on Sunday, September 2 for renovations and will reopen soon to welcome back guests.

No Fowl Play Here! It's Pastured Poultry Week in Georgia

The omnivore chicken's dilemma:  seed, bug, plant or all of the above? A chicken feed diet nixes such decisions for factory farmed birds. While pastured poultry commute across pasture land each day, factory farms allot each bird about as much space as a sheet of notebook paper. Georgians for Pastured Poultry (GPP) is crying "fowl" and taking action! It's Pastured Poultry Week -- an opportune week to feather your cap with pastured poultry facts gathered by GPP and taste the difference in dishes featuring pastured poultry at Ecco, JCT. Kitchen & Bar, No. 246, Woodfire Grill and others. The sustainable method of raising poultry yields better tasting birds, and Atlanta chefs are leading farmers market demos this summer to show you how to use the whole bird. At this Saturday's Morningside Farmers Market, Shaun Doty will be sure shoppers learn where and how their chickens were raised. Take notes as he passes on kitchen tips he'll use at his own soon-to-open Bantam & Biddy restaurant where free-range and pastured poultry will rule the roost. White Oak Pastures, already a leader in the pastured poultry profession, is providing most of the chickens for restaurants and summer farmers market demos; purchase your own bird at Atlanta-area Whole Foods Markets. As Chef Doty explains, these birds have a slower growth period than factory farm-raised chickens (12 weeks versus six weeks), which leads to richer flavor and a higher cost. Doty feels each bite is worth it, and he's posted a YouTube video (above) showing how to roast them, make chicken stock and an easy chicken miso soup so you'll savor every morsel.