Spin Along with Santas and Elves in 11th Annual Santa Ride in Honor of Warren Bruno Dec. 15

Indoor spin class can’t compare to cruising 10 miles through in-town Atlanta neighborhoods amid a jingle-belling bicycling herd of Santas, elves and some tacky holiday sweaters. The more the merrier in this Santa Ride annual fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Be at Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland at 5 p.m. and ready to roll out at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 15. Party with biker buddies at Atkins Park after the ride. Prize for the best costume. Brake for details on our blog.

Ho, Ho, Hold on to Those Handlebars for 11th Annual Santa Ride in Honor of Warren Bruno Dec. 15

Wear one of those blinky red Rudolph noses, strap elf ears on your bike helmet and don some festive apparel before setting off on this social cycling cruise through the Highlands, Inman Park, downtown Atlanta, Midtown, Ansley Park and Piedmont Park. On Thursday, Dec. 15, the 11th annual Santa Ride in honor of the late Warren Bruno wheels out from the avid cyclist’s beloved Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland and spins through 10 miles of Bruno’s favorite neighborhoods. Costume contest and cups o’ cheer are all part of this holiday season tradition. Best costume (voted on by Santa Ride participants) will be crowned with the coveted Warren Bruno holiday bike. Congregate at Atkins Park at 5 p.m. and set out to “sleigh” the streets at 6 p.m. Relax and be jolly – this is not a race – but it is a fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Consider donating at least $25; 100 percent of proceeds go toward efforts to fight and cure the cancer that eventually took the life of cheer-champ Warren Bruno.

Chris Hadermann of Southern Proper Hospitality Named “Man of the Year” by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Chris Hadermann of Southern Proper Hospitality was named Atlanta’s “Man of the Year” by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) at a gala at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta on June 11. Hadermann, a founding partner of the Atlanta-based restaurant group, raised $191,595 during the LLS Man & Woman of the Year fundraising competition. Monies raised in the competition go toward the LLS mission of eradicating leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening blood cancers. Hadermann competed in honor of his grandfather, who lost his life to leukemia, as well as local blood cancer survivors Emory and Norah, LLS’s Boy & Girl of the Year. Southern Proper Hospitality restaurants pitched in to Hadermann’s fundraising efforts in a number of creative ways. Gypsy Kitchen, The Southern Gentleman, Smokebelly BBQ, The Big Ketch, The Blind Pig Parlour Bar and Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails staged special cocktail promotions, donating $1 to LLS for every drink sold -- matched dollar for dollar by Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Other efforts included a Great Gatsby-themed dinner and party at The Blind Pig; a garden dinner hosted by Milton’s; a golf tournament at the Polo Golf & Country Club; and a “Sip & Savor” fundraiser at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta. Hadermann also raised funds via his Facebook page and his personal MWOY page. He is now competing for LLS Man of the Year, which the winner will be announced in July.

Get Tee’d Off about Leukemia and Lymphoma and Do Something About It at Southern Proper Golf Tournament Benefitting LLS June 6

Golfers, take a shot (or a few more) at stopping the paths of leukemia and lymphoma blood cancers by helping the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).  Sign on for the Southern Proper Golf Tournament to Benefit LLS at the Polo Golf & Country Club in Cumming on Monday, June 6. Registration begins at 11 a.m.; shotgun start for the four-person scramble is at 1 p.m. Tickets are $150 for individuals and $600 for foursomes and include greens and cart fees, practice balls, hot grill station lunch, awards reception dinner, on-course beverages and a chance to win tournament prizes. Shop the silent auction to raise more funds for LLS. The Southern Proper Hospitality Group restaurant family includes Gypsy Kitchen, The Southern Gentleman, Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails, The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill, Smokebelly BBQ and The Blind Pig Parlour Bar so players can start salivating for good grub like roasted corn and black bean salad, chipotle sweet potato salad, three chile Vidalia onion slaw and a burger bar with chorizo, Asian shrimp and beef burgers for lunch. Post-tournament reception features street tacos of mojo-braised pork, jerk chicken and three chile stout-braised beef; salsa bar and toppings and sides of mac and cheese and charro beans. Stop putting around and sign up today!

Southern Proper Hospitality May and June Events Reach Out to Benefit Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Team in Training athletes seem to show up at every organized run, racing for the larger purpose of raising funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and its goal of eliminating blood cancers. Southern Proper Hospitality is assembling its threesome of events in May and June to benefit the life-saving mission of LLS. The Southern Proper restaurant family includes Gypsy Kitchen, The Southern Gentleman, Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails, The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill, Smokebelly BBQ andThe Blind Pig Parlour Bar.

Crank up the roadster and drive back in time to the Roaring ‘20s and The Gatsby Party at The Blind Pig Parlour Bar. On Saturday, May 21, Buckhead’s favorite speakeasy will throw a bash to rival Jay Gatsby’s soirees. A Gatsby-themed five-course dinner lavishes guests from 7-10 p.m. The Gatsby Party follows from 10 p.m.-2 a.m., rollicking with a limited open bar, passed hors d’oeuvre, live 1920s-era music and legal (charity-based) gambling. Buy tickets here: $250 for the All-Access Gatsby Pass (dinner, party and $50 Smokebelly BBQ gift card); or $50 for The Golden Ticket Party Pass (10 p.m. party only). Online purchase service fees will be added at checkout. Info: 404-931-2169.
 
Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails executive chef Derek Dollar plans a straight-from-the-vine Bountiful Garden Dinnerexperience in Milton’s Acre on Sunday, May 22. Starting at 6 p.m., guests can tour the one-acre “farm” while enjoying hors d’oeuvre and libations. Afterward, a four-course, family style dinner with wine pairings satisfies garden-piqued appetites. Starlit skies and the soothing strums of a cellist frame the idyllic meal. Nonrefundable tickets are $200 per person (plus online service fee, tax and gratuity) with 75 percent of ticket sales moving on to LLS on behalf of owner Chris Hadermann’s campaign for LLS’ Man of the Year. Info: 770-817-0161

The Southern Proper Hospitality Golf Tournament for LLS tees off on Monday morning, June 6 at the Polo Golf & Country Club in Cumming. Tournament fees for the four-person golf scramble are $600 per foursome or $150 for singles. Fees cover greens and carts; range balls and practice facility; hot grill station lunch with menu items such as roasted corn and black bean salad, three chili Vidalia onion slaw and a burger bar; awards reception dinner featuring street tacos, a salsa bar and sides; and on-course beverages. Participants will have a chance to win tournament prizes, bid on silent auction items and compete in various tournament challenges. Sign up here; online purchase service fee will be added at checkout. Info: 770-887-7656

Yule Have a Wheel Good Time Cruising Along in Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar’s 10th Annual Santa Ride Thursday, December 10

Spin through Atlanta’s in-town neighborhoods with Santa(s) and elves in the 10th annual Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar Santa Ride. Wheeling out from Atlanta’s oldest continuously licensed tavern on Thursday, December 10 at 6:30 p.m., the jaunt’s not about dashing all the way. The social cycling event celebrates both the holiday season and Atkins Park owner Warren Bruno, who lost his battle to lymphoma in 2012. There’s no official entry fee, but a $25 minimum donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), Bruno’s charity of choice, is suggested and goes toward the Race Across America (RAAM) Georgia Chain Gang’s fundraising efforts for LLS. Donate to the cause and receive a ticket for a free beer at Atkins Park. While Santa spans the globe on his big night out, Atlanta traffic limits cyclists to a doable eight-mile route that starts and ends at Atkins Park in Virginia-Highland. Because, hey, ride organizers elfishly want to leave plenty of time for toasts, cheer and the post-ride costume contest where one decked-out cyclist will win the coveted Warren Bruno holiday bike. Jingle all the way wearing bells, Santa hats, elf ears, glowing Rudolph noses, reindeer antlers on helmets as well as headlights and handlebar holiday lights. Details, tickets and registration are available online.

Ride On! Annual Warren Bruno Summerfest Celebration Ride is the Wheel Thing on June 7

Did you heed the call? A couple of weeks ago, we mapped out the details for the annual Warren Bruno Summerfest Celebration Ride coming up this Sunday, June 7. Time for the rubber to hit the road to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and to remember Warren Bruno, owner of the flagship Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Bruno’s beloved “VA-HI” and Ormsby’s founder. Consider the family friendly cruise a warm up for the day’s Virginia-Highland Summerfest activities. Get a handle on all the info on our Atlanta Dish blog. 

Annual Warren Bruno Summerfest Celebration Bike Ride June 7

Get pumped! The Atkins Park Riders and Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland are setting wheels in motion for this year’s Warren Bruno Summerfest Celebration Ride and fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Societyon Sunday, June 7. Warren Bruno owned the flagship Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland and later opened Ormsby’s on Atlanta’s Westside. Bruno lived life with gusto, even during his eight-year battle against the cancer that eventually took his life in 2012. An avid cyclist, Bruno loved biking through his neighborhood and helped found Virginia-Highland Summerfest to share his love for “Va-Hi.” Each June, bicyclists saddle up to ride along some of his favorite streets and paths in New Highland Park, Little Five Points, the Old Fourth Ward, Piedmont Park, Ansley Park and along the Atlanta BeltLine. Summerfest, with its artist market, music, food and refreshments, waits at the end of the ride. The family friendly ride is organized for three cycling skill levels. Ride begins at 8:30 a.m. at the corner of North Highland and St. Charles avenues. BYOB -- as in bike, bottle for water and bike helmet. Sign up ($5 children under 18 years, $20 adults) before June 6 or make a donation online. All proceeds benefit Atkins Park Cycling Team as they raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in Bruno’s honor.

9th Annual Santa Ride Sets Off from Atkins Park Virginia-Highland December 10

Park the sleigh. Rein in the deer. Bikes are the only way to cover ground during the 9th annual Santa Ride in honor ofWarren Bruno at Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland on Wednesday, December 10. Santa Ride roundup begins at Atkins Park at 5:30 p.m., and the 10-miler pedals out from the restaurant's back parking lot at 6:30 p.m. Festivities continue through 10:30 p.m. Gear up by donning your Santa-wear, elf outfits, snowman duds or those cherished and embellished holiday ties and sweaters. Garland, lights and decorations make for a stylin' ride. Santa Ride cyclists vote on the best costumes, and the winner rides off with the coveted Holiday Bike - a commuter bike to keep for the entire year. $25 suggested donation to participate in this fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Sign up online!

Appetizing Aperture: Chris Watkins Rolls Sensational Sushi

You still have time to taste the scrumptious sushi created by eat.drink.repeat. blogger Chris Watkins, who won RA Sushi Bar Restaurant's Foodies Show Heart contest with his "This is the Way we Roll." Clever, huh? Guess what, it's just as delicious. The colorful dish is prepared with red beet tempura bits and drizzled with sweet eel sauce and green wasabi mayo. Through November 30, $4 from the sale of the $8 dish will go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Watkins' charity of choice. So, what're you waiting for? Roll on to Midtown!

#Foodgram of the Week: @eatdrinkrepeat

Chris Watkins keeps Atlanta informed about the latest happenings in the food world, all while supplying a steady stream of appetizing food shots on @eatdrinkrepeat. Thankfully, he also found time to craft a winning roll in RA Sushi Bar Restaurant's October sushi-making for charity event. His "This is the Way We Roll" roll graces the restaurant's November menu, and sales proceeds will go to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. That's just the way he rolls.

Dirty Bird Tailgate Takeover September 8 at Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar

Come one, come all, football season is finally back! In true dirty bird fashion, the Atlanta Falcons are ready to march over the New Orleans Saints at the Georgia Dome regular season opener on Sunday, September 8. As the Falcons kick off at 1 p.m., Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland fields an official season opener of its own -- tailgate season. For some, this is the best part of all. They'll fire up the Big Green Egg (it is slightly football shaped) to go with beer features from SweetWater Brewing Company. Rise up and buy raffle tickets for a chance to win some of the more than $1000 in cash and prizes. Cornholers, Cornhole ATL is hosting a tournament after the football game ends. Registration opens at halftime and costs $30 per team, which includes your first pint of SweetWater beer and one raffle ticket. No matter which team conquers the Georgia Dome turf, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society scores all tailgate party raffle and cornhole proceeds! Sounds like a victory to us, so make it yours too and plan to join in all the football fun.