More good eating in 2013

 

 

Over here at MLA we are working hard on some exciting restaurant happenings in 2013. Kevin Gillespie is opening his new restaurant in March in the Glenwood Park area serving great flavors in an intimate atmosphere. Chef Ford Fry, owner of Westside's  JCT. Kitchen & Bar and The Optimist and Oyster Bar at The Optimist and Decatur's No. 246, will add two Buckhead restaurants to his family when he opens King + Duke in the former Nava space in March and another in the old Bluepointe space later this year.  Bantam + Biddy is increasing its family tree as owners Shaun Doty and Lance Gummere open new Chick-a-biddy at Atlantic Station in April. We also can look forward to more delicious tavern fare with another Marlow's Tavern location (maybe two!) coming this year. Meanwhile, seafood lovers will gain one more sweet spot for succulently prepared fresh fish when Bonefish Grill lands another Atlanta-area restaurant. St. Patrick's Day is always a huge party at Fadó Irish Pub & Restaurant - one that spills out onto the street around the pub like a good flow of green beer. And we're thrilled to announce that South City Kitchen Midtown will celebrate its 20^th anniversary in April. One of us over here, ahem, remembers when Crescent Avenue wasn't a very nice street and no one outside the state thought Southern food was anything special. So there's much to celebrate! We're looking forward to another fun year!
 

Serenbe Serves Up Southern Chefs Potluck This Sunday

The Third Annual Southern Chefs Potluck to benefit Wholesome Wave Georgia takes over the pavilion and grounds of The Inn at Serenbe this Sunday, August 5 from 3 - 6 p.m., and the best news of all? Almost two dozen of Atlanta's best chefs will handle the potluck part - leave your Jello mold at home! Each chef will prepare a side, homemade pickles or relish and a dessert to add to the bountiful table. Some of the featured dishes that already have us licking our lips are Ford Fry's summer squash casserole with Georgia gouda and garlicky crumb; Shaun Doty's White Oak Pastures chicken galantines with herb vinaigrette; and homemade moon pies toted in by E. J. Hodgkinson of Woodfire Grill. White Oak Pastures meats prepared by Jim 'N Nicks Bar-B-Q and fried chicken legs from The Farmhouse at Serenbe are the main dishes, and everything will be served family style. Guests will also enjoy local beer, wine and cocktails created by top mixologists and served by members of the Atlanta chapter of the United States Bartender's Guild, so you might want to re-watch Cocktail before you arrive. White Oak Pastures' own Will Harris will auction off one-of-a-kind chef experiences, and a raffle can get you unique culinary items. Live music will be provided by Christ, Lord!, Lily and the Tigers and Under White Pines. Purchase tickets online for $125 per person to benefit Wholesome Wave Georgia, a nonprofit organization that helps make healthy food accessible to all Georgia citizens while contributing to our local food economy.

Appetizing Aperture: National French Fries Day

After the Fourth of July comes, why, National French Fries Day, of course. July 13 is the day, and we say TGIF (Thank Goodness It's Fries). Looking forward to these truffle fries at JCT. Kitchen & Bar. Not trifling.

Weekend Wallet Saver: Time to Whip Out Your Dinner & A Cause Card

It's Friday afternoon and the options for weekend entertainment are endless...when you're using your Dinner & A Cause Card from Children of Conservation. Cardholders can savor 20 percent savings on their dinner tabs at some of Atlanta's top restaurants in July and August, starting this Saturday. The list of participating restaurants is long and includes Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub in Brookhaven, No. 246 in Decatur, JCT. Kitchen & Bar on Atlanta's Westside and Chicken and the Egg in Marietta. Most importantly, your card purchase helps provide an education for children of wildlife sanctuary workers in Africa. If you're not already packing one of these cards in your purse or money carrier of choice, go online to purchase; $25 for July 1-31, $25 for August 1-31 or $45 when buying both months at the same time. Use it as many times as you wish during the permitted timeframe.

Why Choose When You Can Have it All At The AF&WF

When it comes to dining options, Atlanta residents and visitors are in a delicious predicament.  Living in a city with so many first-rate restaurants, one can hardly keep up with sampling them all. This weekend’s Atlanta Food & Wine Festival allows you to have your cake and eat it too. Many of Atlanta’s best restaurants including Alma Cocina, Aqua blue, Aria, Chicken and the Egg, JCT. Kitchen & Bar, No. 246, South City Kitchen Midtown, South City Kitchen Vinings and Woodfire Grill will be flooding the Midtown street scene. Although your senses will be inundated with luscious smells and mouthwatering tastes, be sure to keep your eyes open for tastings from American Spirit Whiskey and Vidalia Onions. The festival also gives guests a chance to stay on top of food news with a tasting preview of Shaun Doty’s Bantam & Biddy - opening late summer in Ansley Mall. Saturday night’s Whiskey @ Whiskey Park whiskey tasting is one of the numerous niche events to consider. At 7:30 p.m., Chef Shean Suter of Spice Market in the W Atlanta-Midtown, along with other chefs and mixologists, will add whiskey’s lively touch to their recipes and cocktails. Tickets are $75 and cover cocktails and small bites. To get  the most out this experience, be sure to use the AF&WF planning tools to organize your strategy for getting there, eats, education and entertainment. The Atlanta Food & Wine Festival benefits the Atlanta History Center, James Beard Foundation, Les Dames d’Escoffier, Oxford American and Wholesome Wave of Georgia.

T Is For Tomatoes… And Tickets

          

Anybody who knows me well knows that I LOVE tomato season. You’ll find me outside happily nurturing multiple tomato varieties in my garden, eating tomato sandwiches for days on end (only white bread will do) and of course, making plans to attend Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival at JCT. Kitchen & Bar! This annual tomato celebration and fundraiser for GeorgiaOrganics lands on Sunday, July 22 this year and I can hardly wait to see what Atlanta’s best chefs and mixologists will whip up with my favorite summer crop. Add a fun afternoon of live music, celebrity judges & mingling with friends and it’s a no-brainer.  Tickets go on sale today and always go quickly, so head over and pick yours while they’re ripe for the picking. 

Chef Bands Take the Stage for Charity at Eats & Beats on May 7

Ford Fry of JCT. Kitchen & Bar and Joey Riley of Kaleidoscope Bistro and Pub have something in common that you might not expect. We all know they're skilled chefs, but did you know that they're talented musicians as well? Fry's band is called Five Bone Rack and Riley is one third of The Right Way Trio. On Monday, May 7, they'll take the stage and perform with two other chef bands at the Buckhead Theatre for Eats & Beats. Along with great music, you can also expect plenty of tasty treats to go along with those tunes. Sample dishes from top-notch restaurants including Chicken and the Egg, JCT. Kitchen & Bar, Kaleidoscope, No. 246 and Spice Market. Tickets to the 7 - 9:30 p.m. event are $60 for general admission and $125 for VIP (early entry at 6 p.m. and access to private premium bar, wine tastings and additional restaurants). Not only will this be the most fun you've had on a Monday night, you'll also be doing your good deed for the day. The event benefits children of sanctuary workers and Children of Conservation, an organization dedicated to the conservation and protection of endangered species in third world countries through education, habitat preservation and wildlife sanctuary support. 

A Few of Our Favorites From the AJC "Top 50" List

As you have probably already read, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Chief Dining Critic John Kessler recently wrote about a list of his "Top 50" restaurants, which he hasn't compiled since 2004. He notes that the passing years have brought a rewarding variety of foods and atmospheres to Atlanta, and we definitely agree. Some of our longtime favorites were included in the list: Aria (pictured right), Ecco and Woodfire Grill. And two more of our top picks were noted on John Kessler's blog as coming oh-so-close to making the list: JCT. Kitchen & Bar and La Tavola Trattoria. Visit the links above to sample John's thoughts, and be sure to play with the interactive map to locate these winning spots for your next dinner outing. You won't be disappointed!

Just Say No to Sloppy Joes: Lunch Break for a Good Cause at JCT. Kitchen & Bar Tomorrow

On Wednesday, February 29, JCT. Kitchen & Bar Executive Chef/Owner Ford Fry and the makers of Hidden Valley® Salad Dressings will host a Lunch Break for Schools fundraiser to help schools stock up on fresh veggies and fruits rather than Sloppy Joes and French fries. Lunch guests who dine in at JCT. Kitchen or get it to go can enjoy Fry's $26 specialty lunch featuring crudités served with Original Ranch® Light, Maine lobster chopped salad with Meyer lemon “ranch” vinaigrette and a brown bag “afternoon snack” of Hidden Valley® Ranch oyster crackers. The fundraiser is one in a weeklong effort by restaurants across the U.S. to host Lunch Break for Schools events with net proceeds going to American Culinary Federation's Chef & Child Foundation (CCF) and the Chefs Move to Schools program. As a father of two, Fry is excited about contributing to this program that will increase nutrition education and lunchroom options for American children. Learn more online and join the Lunch Break for Schools discussion on Twitter (#LunchBreakForSchools).

It’s National Soup Month – Start Slurping!

The MLA team just finished a two-day juice detox and after 48 hours of drinking nothing but cold, tart fruit juice, all I am craving is a hot bowl of soup. Luckily, it happens to be National Soup Month AND, despite the unseasonably warm weather we’ve been having, the weather reports for the rest of this week finally point to colder temperatures. I can’t think of a better time to sample our city’s selection of body-warming bowls of goodness. Check out a list of our favorites around town in the latest edition of The Dish. My must-haves are Aria’s creamless celery root and black truffle soup (you will not believe this soup doesn’t have cream in it!) and Spice Market’s spicy chicken and coconut soup (pictured above). Both of these feel totally luxurious and are super satisfying on a cold day.

Book Your Favorite Rockin' Room For A Private Party

It happens every year. The grateful calm of Thanksgiving gives way to Black Friday retail frenzy. Then low and behold, the holiday party and gifting season is here. Whether or not you are an advance planner, Atlanta restaurants are ready to help out with warm and friendly seasonal settings, large and small spreads, private dining options and generous gift card promotions.

In Virginia Highland, lively Atkins Park Tavern has historical charm -- and a room upstairs ready to host 30 guests for a sit-down dinner or 50 guests for cocktails. To reserve, call 404-876-7249.

Fabulous global cuisine, personalized menus and lots of space are yours in Roswell at Aqua blue. A semi-private back room accommodates 60 guests, and up to 200 guests can party in the main bar. Available for bookings seven days a week for lunch and dinner; call 770-643-8886.

Marietta’s Chicken and the Egg serves up modern farmstead fare and can throw a Southern dinner party with ease. Host an intimate chef’s table for up to 28 guests in a separate corner of the restaurant -- guests will love the chef’s table menu of Chicken and the Egg specialties. Contact Elizabeth Taft at 678-388-8813.

Across Midtown and into Vinings, Fifth Group Restaurants gives a wide variety of options for private and group dining. At 7th and Cypress streets in the heart of Midtown, Ecco offers seasonal, European-inspired dining seven nights a week. For an evening of contemporary Southern fare, book South City Kitchen Vinings. More Fifth Group possibilities include South City Kitchen Midtown, La Tavola Trattoria and The Original El Taco. Bold American and Studio 887 offer off- and on-premise upscale catering for other event options. For group party planning assistance, call 678-302-3264. For more information, visit the company’s private dining page.

In Dunwoody, special occasions call for Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. Book your party by Thursday, December 1 and receive a $50 gift card for every $500 you spend. Thrifty gifters, receive a $20 bonus card for every $100 gift card purchased from now until December 31 (bonus card valid on food and beverage only, January 1 through February 10). Call 770-698-8112.

The Westside party “junction” is JCT. Kitchen & Bar at Howell Mill and Huff roads in Atlanta’s Westside Urban Market. Up to 200 guests can celebrate on its 2,000-square-foot skyline terrace that looks out over the historic neighborhood; up to 165 people can dine downstairs in the main dining room. Discuss private event options with Valerie Mosley, 678-536-6506.

Don’t overlook your lunch spot when looking for a dinner party venue. Market Street Café in Buckhead can seat up to 125 people for dinner inside and 75 guests on the patio. Need more? Rent the whole place after 4 p.m. weekdays and anytime on weekends. For private event information, contact Sabrina Rosenberg or Lauren Hradek at 770-643-5990.

Reindeer games in West Midtown’s White Provision complex? Not quite, but Ormsby’s lounge space with its comfy couches, cocktail tables and game room access is ideal for up to 40 grownups. Better snatch it up by calling Leslie Battle at 404-968-2033.

Wildly fun RA Sushi in Midtown can seat up to 10 guests in its semi-private dining space and host up to 100 guests in its upstairs area. Call 404-267-0114.

From downtown to the Chattahoochee to Alpharetta, Ray’s Restaurants provides three unique party settings and a variety of menu options. Ray’s on the River (770-955-1187) can accommodate parties of up to 200 guests. Ray’s at Killer Creek in Alpharetta (770-649-0064) has several different room options and accommodates parties of up to 300 people. For intimate gatherings in town, look into private and semi-private spaces for up to 45 people at Ray’s in the City (404-524-9224).

The Renaissance Atlanta Midtown Hotel epitomizes Atlanta with its modern design and Southern hospitality. Host guest lists from 30 to 400 in the hotel’s three ballrooms. Up to 300 guests can sip cocktails and admire the skyline view at Rooftop 866, the chic rooftop bar adjacent to the hotel. Briza, the hotel’s signature restaurant, also can be reserved for private events seating up to 110 guests or 200 for cocktails and hors d’oeuvre. Call 678-412-2400.

Here’s a smashing gift idea! At Smashburger, receive $5 Smashbucks for every $25 gift card purchased through December 31. Smashbucks expire on January 31. There are three metro-Atlanta locations with a fourth opening in Kennesaw on November 30.

Go for a glamorous midday or evening event at the W Atlanta-Midtown Hotel’s Spice Market restaurant. Spice Market’s Pond Room, Trellis Room and main dining room are three options, and the entire restaurant space accommodates up to 200 for a seated dinner and 350 for cocktails and hors d’oeuvre. For private event information, contact Cristina Perry at 404-724-2550.

Atlanta’s trend-setting farm-to-table restaurant, Woodfire Grill, houses multiple private dining spaces from "The Mezzanine," seating 50 or divisible into three private rooms; “The Loft," a cozy upstairs hideaway for up to 16 people; and a covered patio where up to 75 guests can gather for cocktails or 30 can sit down for dinner. Call Rick Blumberg at 404-347-9055 for more information.

A Sinfully Good Deviled Egg Recipe for National Deviled Egg Day

Halloween treats were egg-ceptionally good this past weekend. National Deviled Egg Day, November 2, will be devilishly divine when you boil a dozen eggs and one lobster to whip up JCT. Kitchen and Bar Owner/Executive Chef Ford Fry's lobster deviled eggs!  

Maine Lobster Deviled Eggs

Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

Makes 24 deviled eggs

Ingredients:

Eggs:

12 Eggs

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

6 cornichon pickles (chopped fine)

1 tbsp. minced chives

¼ lemon (juice of)

Dash of Tabasco

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Lobster:

1 live Maine lobster

2 tsp. minced fresh garlic (Not that jar stuff!)

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt to taste

Vinaigrette:

1 Meyer lemon (zests and juice of)

3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. finely chopped Italian parsley

Kosher salt to taste

Method:

Place eggs in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Just as it boils, turn the heat off and let them sit for exactly 10 minutes. Immediately strain and cover with ice water to chill. Peel eggs, split in half and separate the yolks from the whites. Finely mash the yolks and mix in the remaining ingredients from the "egg" portion of the recipe. Place the yolk mixture into a piping bag with a nickel-sized round tip and chill until ready to assemble.

For the lobster, place a pot of water on to boil. Drop live lobster in for two minutes. Remove from water and cover with ice water. Once chilled, remove the meat and mince. Reserve until ready to assemble.

Prepare the vinaigrette by whisking together the juice, zests, olive oil, parsley, and salt to taste. (add the parsley just before assembling so that it does not turn brown.)

Just prior to serving, pipe the yolk mixture into each white bottom and place on your serving platter. Using a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil on medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook until light golden. Add the minced lobster meat and stir well. Cook until just done. Take pan off the heat and season lightly with kosher salt. Toss with the vinaigrette and the parsley. Spoon a divot into the yolk mixture of the deviled egg. Spoon in the lobster mixture and serve.

Vote for Your Favorite Chefs So Their Face Can Grace a Street Banner!

Hurry! Every vote counts as Taste of Atlanta selects its top 12 chefs according to Facebook polling. We're campaigning for some of our favorites: Andrew Smith of Atkins Park Tavern in Virginia Highland, Asha Gomez of Spice Route Supper Club and Cardamom Hill, Drew Belline of no. 246, Ford Fry of JCT. Kitchen & Bar and John Coley of Double Zero Napoletana. The only "voter registration" required is to "Like" the Taste of Atlanta Facebook page so you can participate in the vote count. Voting ends September 9. The 12 top vote recipients will be listed on festival banners. This year's fill-the-streets-with-eats festival takes place the weekend of October 23 - 24. Get to voting and tasting!

Get Your Tickets to The Third Annual JCT. Kitchen Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival Now!

Tomato season is finally here, and there’s less than a month until the big tomato showdown at JCT. Kitchen & Bar. Don’t forget to grab your tickets to the Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival before Friday, July 1, when prices go up to $70 per ticket. You definitely don’t want to miss when tomato forces roll into JCT. on Sunday, July 17. There will be no tomato-fortified drink or dish left standing when the battle is over. JCT. Executive Chef/Owner Ford Fry is behind the shindig, hosting more than 40 of the Southeast's best chefs, farmers and mixologists to join forces to benefit Georgia Organics. The Spazmatics and local chef band Five Bone Rack will provide the live-music soundtrack to this summer epic.

Cost is $55 per person for Georgia Organics members and $60 for non-members until Thursday, June 30. Purchase tickets online. For more information, visit the festival's Facebook page.

JCT. Kitchen & Bar: In Atlanta's Westside Urban Market at 1198 Howell Mill Road, Suite 18; 404-355-2252.

Summer in the City – A Night to Benefit Shepherd Center’s Military and Adolescent Patient Programs

Hats off to the men and women of our military and to Shepherd Center for providing the procedures and care they need to get back on their feet after sustaining injuries. On Wednesday, June 22, gather at Greystone in historic Piedmont Park to help their cause at Summer in the City - A Night of Epicurean Delights. The 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. event is presented by the Shepherd Center Society and Co-Chairs Gena Bryant and Alden Potts. The fundraiser features fine food from Aria, JCT. Kitchen and other acclaimed restaurants, star wine pairings from partner National Distributing Company, plus live music and a shopper's delight auction. The event benefits the Shepherd Center's Military Patient Program and its Adolescent Patient Program. Tickets are $80 each with sponsorships beginning at $250 per couple.

Complimentary valet parking is available in the SAGE parking facility accessed by Worcester off Monroe Drive.

Hot Diggity Dog! Wiener Wednesday is Finally Here!

While we are sad to see "Burgers 'n Brew" go, we couldn't be more excited for "Wiener Wednesdays" at JCT. Bar. Beginning today, the West Midtown restaurant is serving up three different specialty hot dogs for only $2 apiece on Wednesdays. These dolled up dogs will be available every other day Tuesday through Saturday as well, but for the regular price of $4 apiece. The selections will vary but these drool-worthy dogs include options such as a smoked Coca-Cola BBQ wiener with Vidalia onion relish; cider-braised fennel and onion wiener with Sweet Grass Dairy Asher Bleu cheese; chicken liver wiener with apple butter, house mustard and tiny pickles; and the "corn dog" wiener with hush puppy crispies, green tomato relish and rémoulade.

Remember, these dandy dogs are not available downstairs in JCT. Kitchen...only upstairs in JCT. Bar and out on JCT. Bar's terrace. JCT. Bar is open Tuesday through Saturday beginning at 5 p.m. If you're interested in meating and tweeting, JCT. Bar's "Wiener Wednesday" Tweet-up will take place next Wednesday, April 13 at 6 p.m. with hosts @ATL_Events and @AtlantaDish.

JCT. Kitchen & Bar: In Atlanta's Westside Urban Market at 1198 Howell Mill Road, Suite 18; 404-355-2252.