Make Your Beloved Bottle of Wine the Star on Saturday Night

Although we are all anticipating the upcoming Oscars, Atlanta restaurants are looking foward to a different kind of opening night: "Open That Bottle Night" (OTBN). This Saturday, February 26, local restaurants are honoring your personal bottle of wine that you've been saving for a special occasion. Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar welcomes guests to bring their own wine, and corkage fees will be totally waived that night. Usually, Fleming's pops open the first bottle for free and charges $20 per bottle after that. Nationally acclaimed Pacci Ristorante in Midtown never charges for corkage and always has plenty of wine-friendly Italian cuisine on Executive Chef Keira Moritz's menu. Spice Market, in the W Atlanta-Midtown is waiving its $15 corkage fee from Saturday, February 26 through Sunday, March 6. Once your bottle is opened, raise a toast to OTBN founders Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher, who came up with the idea in 2000.

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar: 4501 Olde Perimeter Way in Perimeter Place Village; 770-698-8112.
Pacci Ristorante: 866 West Peachtree Street, NW, adjacent to the Hotel Palomar; 678-412-2402.
Spice Market: In the W Atlanta-Midtown, 188 14th Street, NE; 404-724-2550.

Rave On, Food Fans

The Atlanta Food Rave- "Chef Keira Moritz" from The Atlanta Food Rave on Vimeo.

It’s the weekend!  What to do, what to do?

Pacci Ristorante Executive Chef Keira Moritz is one of the five hot chefs keeping things sizzling in the kitchen at The Atlanta Food Rave Experience tonight at the Mason Murer Fine Art Gallery.  The dinner menu is hush, hush until you arrive. (Vegetarians quell those food fears; there are options for you).  Tickets are $55 per person and include the Rave Review Culinary Extravaganza and Challenge dinner feast, an open bar with a collection of signature alcoholic and non-alcoholic specialty beverages, plus complimentary valet parking.  Must be 21 or over to attend.  Tickets available for purchase online only and will not be sold at the door.  The event benefits the Atlanta Community Food Bank and its mission to fight hunger by educating, empowering and engaging Metro Atlanta and North Georgia communities. 

Morningside is putting on a first of what we hope will become an annual summer tradition -- the Morningside Summer Block Party tomorrow.  The "block" lies behind DBA Barbecue and The Original El Taco at the corner of Virginia and Amsterdam avenues.  Gates open at 12:30 p.m., and the party cranks on with a lineup of four bands until 10 p.m.  Keep up the momentum with your El Taco favorites, ice-cold cocktails and Abita beer. Purchase these yums and others from DBA Barbecue and Mali Thai.  Your kids can frolic from 1 - 6 p.m. in the children's area.  Red and Rover?  They have to stay at home.  Tickets are $5 online in advance (plus $0.99 service fee) or $10 at the door; children 14 and under are free. A portion of the proceeds will be donated back to firehouse station #19 in Virginia Highland.

Breakfast of Champions at Pacci with The Scramble Gamble

Photo by Broderick Smylie

Weekend breakfasts are no joke – I take them very seriously after a week of boring toast and oatmeal in my morning rush.  Saturdays and Sundays are the time to splurge and savor the bounty that proper breakfast favorites have to offer! 

Midtown’s Pacci takes breakfast just as seriously as I do, but this August they’re adding a lucky and very fun element to the early morning meal from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the weekend.  The Scramble Gamble is back and allows guests to have a shot at winning their breakfast! 

Just order from the special “Scramble Gamble” menu and after you finish your meal, a Pacci employee will flip a coin and let you call it to determine whether you have to pay for the dish or not…  Yes, we know Mama told you not to “play with your food”, but she never said anything about playing FOR your food, right?

It’s not all gambling and biscuits & gravy though – Pacci is also partnering with the American Egg Board (who Chef Keira serves as a consulting chef for) and The Good Egg Project to donate one egg to local hunger organizations for every petition signed during the month. Eggs-cellent!

Veggie Knowledge Is Power

Heading to your local farmers’ market this weekend? Set your alarm and get going early -you might be able to take some new cooking tips home along with those garden-fresh tomatoes if you head to the chef demos that Chefs Kevin Gillespie and Keira Moritz are doing tomorrow! Get your basket and a notepad ready, because you won’t want to miss an ingredient.

If Piedmont Park Green Market is your local pick, you’ll see Woodfire Grill's Chef Kevin Gillespie there from 11 a.m. to noon under the patio at the Piedmont Park Community Center. More of a Peachtree Road Farmers Market kind of day for you? Watch Pacci's Chef Keira use the summer harvest in her demo at 10 a.m. and take notes to create your own summer dishes.

photo from Peachtree Road Farmers Market Facebook page 

A Live Leprechaun, Lemintcello and Rooftop Lounging...Oh My!

Even if you're not Irish, your eyes will surely be smiling if you celebrate St. Patrick's Day at AltoRex Rooftop Lounge, atop Pacci Ristorante, in Midtown. This hot spot has an Irish shindig planned from 7 - 11 p.m. on Wednesday, March 17, offering green beer and St. Pat's-themed cocktails such as the restaurant's signature Lemintcello, made of house-made Limoncello, Midori and fresh mint. More importantly, AltoRex is the only place in town where you can actually catch a leprechaun! Guests can enjoy taking photos with the little green guy as well as Irish and spring-inspired dishes from Chef Keira Moritz. The party will also feature a raffle - may the luck o' the Irish be with you. AltoRex Rooftop Lounge is located at 866 West Peachtree Street, NW; 678-412-2402.

Sipping, Savoring & Sea-ing at the Georgia Aquarium

Last night I attended the 4th annual Aqua Vino event at the Georgia Aquarium and enjoyed some excellent wines and bites from Atlanta restaurants. My food favorites of the evening were Pacci Risotrante’s crab fondue with crostini (Chef Keira Moritz pictured above on the right at her table in the Georgia Explorer Gallery), Il Mulino’s mushroom ravioli and WaterHaven’s mussels. Memorable wine finds included Orogeny Pinot Noir and Twomey Sauvignon Blanc. There was a great turnout – 1,000+ attendees supporting the Georgia Aquarium and the Correll Center for Aquatic Animal Health!

Give Your Pooch a Doggie Dessert From Pacci Ristorante on National Dog Day

Today is National Dog Day, and Pacci Ristorante Executive Chef Keira Moritz is giving new meaning to the phrase “doggie bag.” Moritz, pictured to the left with her own dog named Magnolia, has added “Pacci Pups” canine cookies to the dessert menu at Pacci. These homemade dog biscuits are only $2 for a bag of six and are sure to keep any dog’s tail wagging. While your pup might not be able to join you for dinner at Midtown’s new Italian steakhouse, you can still bring them home a taste of Pacci by picking up a bag of biscuits on your way out.

Pacci Ristorante: 866 West Peachtree Street, NW; 678-412-2402.