The holidays have been fun, but yikes! They’re not done! Now, you’re staring at the calendar (the one received as a gift), realizing New Year’s Eve is almost here and your plans are still up in the air. Rein it in, focus and circle around to our blog to see which Atlanta restaurants are planning parties, specials and popping open the Champagne on New Year’s Eve. After that, it’s just a matter of calling or clicking links to secure a spot at the table or party. Happy New Year and all the best in 2018.
Magnificent Margaritas handle every occasion. Blackberry champagne margaritas toast with ease. A strawberry basil batch uses up the last of summer’s fragrant herb. Brewsters and cocktailers come together over tailgating beer margaritas. Soothe prickly situations with a prickly pineapple concoction. Blood orange screams Halloween boo-zing. Leave it to Paula Deen to turn this cocktail into a strawberry mousse dessert all ages can enjoy (read tequila-free). Unplug the watermelon and you can whirl up watermelon margaritas. And, there’s always a place at the table for classic lime margaritas, with chips or solo.
Don your so-ugly-it’s-cute Christmas sweater for the photo booth and rock to holiday revelry at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta. The Southern Gentleman celebrates birthday number two on Sunday, Dec. 11. with a holiday party theme and food freebies -- complimentary appetizers from 4-6 p.m. and complimentary desserts from 7:30-9 p.m. Dasher and Dancer your way over and relieve the drought with $5 drafts and $6 specialty cocktails throughout the evening. Giving spirits, bring eight cans of non-perishable food items to the party and receive a complimentary drink. Fukishima Tuna entertains with live music from 5-9 p.m.
This week marks five years of serving East Cobb and beyond for Seed Kitchen & Bar owner and executive chef Doug Turbush -- and Turbush and his team are ecstatic to gift guests with a special three-course dinner menu available Tuesday, Nov. 1 through Saturday, Nov. 5, and gift a portion of menu proceeds to Share Our Strength. Seed’s celebratory menu, offered in addition to the regular menu, includes choices such as chicken-fried Gulf oysters with habanero aioli; beef short rib ravioli; grilled redfish with butternut squash; smoked ham hock with stewed red beans and collard greens with andouille and buttermilk slaw; and Maple Leaf Farms confit duck breast with creamed Brussels sprouts. Maple custard made with Chantilly cream and Georgia pecan biscotti and an apple bread pudding with sorghum-bourbon ice cream and caramel entice as dessert choices. Cost is $39.95 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Next door, sister restaurant Stem Wine Bar also is celebrating a birthday and hosting a sold-out wine dinner on Nov. 1 in honor of its third anniversary.
Pull into the historic Georgia Freight Depot for a delicious case of sensory overload at the Creative Loafing Best of Atlanta party on Thursday, September 22. Seek out 5Church Atlanta, one of Atlanta’s newest and most-talked-about restaurants, amid the #CLBestofATL sights, sounds and tastes that make Atlanta a Southern gem. All ticket holders will enjoy samples from 10 winning Best of Atlanta restaurants, a reading by a fortune teller, live entertainment encompassing music, comedy and spoken word poetry, as well as a black light art tunnel and more than a dozen works from some of Atlanta’s most talented artists. VIPs gain early entry, unlimited samples from 20+ Best of Atlanta award-winning restaurants, two free drinks, access to the exclusive VIP room and an official Best of Atlanta gift bag. Buy tickets at Xorbia through September 22; $25 general admission; $75 VIP. Want more tastes? Purchase additional tasting tickets onsite.
The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill, Buckhead’s beachfront property, is always ready to party, especially when marking an anniversary. The restaurant coasts into its weeklong anniversary celebration on Monday, September 19 with $6 specials honoring six fun-loving years. Take advantage of $6 chef-crafted appetizers and $6 drink specials throughout the week. The party culminates with a big blowout from 1-9 p.m. on Sunday, September 25 featuring $6 Champagne and house wines, $6 specialty cocktails, beer specials, giveaways and live music from Jason Pomar (1-5 p.m.) and the Cothern Miracle Band (5-9 p.m.). Guests who dine at the Buckhead beach house during the anniversary week celebration will be entered to win a $500 gift card. Stick around for games, giveaways and the 6 p.m. Champagne toast and gift card drawing.
Totally legit for this 1-year-old to celebrate in a bar, because it is the bar. The Blind Pig Parlour Bar, Atlanta’s swankiest Prohibition-inspired hideaway, is throwing a humdinger of a one-year anniversary party on Saturday, January 23. Complimentary bites and batched cocktails feed the party from 7-8 p.m., and drink specials prevail throughout the evening. Flappers and rappers, live music revs up at 7:30 p.m. and keeps on keeping on until the DJ takes over at 11 p.m. Seating is first-come, first-served after 9:30 p.m.
‘Tis the season to drop in and share holiday greetings, hugs and a cup or two of cheer with dear friends. When you’re Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland, Atlanta’s longest continuously operating tavern, you have many friends. The best way to show gratitude for each one is to do what comes naturally...throw a Holiday Customer Appreciation Party. Stop by for complimentary drinks and bites this Wednesday, December 16 from 6-7 p.m. Only a Grinch would skip out on this merry evening.
Wax your board, throw on your best Hurley or Quicksilver and dig a presidential head mask out of the costume closet. Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland stokes the Friday night summer fun pipeline with a Point Break Beach Party on July 17. Jump on at 9 p.m. to ride the adrenaline rush of watching the classic 1991 thriller, shaking out the muscles to DJ tunes and exclaiming “Whoa, dude!” to costume contest winners (could be you). Wipe out your thirst with Even Keel Session IPA ($6 can), Longfin lager ($6 bottle) or Grunion pale ale and Habanero Sculpin drafts ($7); chilled horchata or Opah shots ($6-$7); or cocktails as crafty as Bodhi, Johnny Utah, Warchild, Ex-President or 50 Year Storm ($6-$8). Epic. At least until the Point Break remake releases December 2015.
Some chefs tout using “everything but the squeal” in their restaurants and recipes. Squeals are included in the case of “Pure Pork Awesomeness,” the second cookbook from Atlanta chef, restaurateur and “Top Chef” alum Kevin Gillespie. Hog meat hounds are squealing with delightful anticipation about routing through the book when it trots onto shelves March 31. Gillespie can’t wait to put pork in our bellies so he’s hosting a special “Pure Pork Awesomeness” Cookbook Party at his nationally acclaimed Glenwood Park restaurant Gunshow on Sunday, March 29 from 2-6 p.m. Tickets are $50 each and include a signed copy of the book plus dishes prepared from book recipes such as Korean barbecued pork bulgogi, Indianapolis-style fried pork loin sandwiches and Buffalo pork “wings.” Brews from SweetWater Brewing Company and drink specials flow at the watering hole.
Hold up on the reindeer games. At Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland, a tailgate party, Atlanta Falcons vs. New Orleans Saints football viewing and backyard games will be going strong on Sunday, December 21 beginning at 1 p.m. Hoisting Goose Island beer at the pre-game tailgate and during the game keeps your throwing arm limber for the cornhole, ring toss and KanJam competitions that kick off in the tavern's backyard when gridiron action ends. Winning teams take home an official Falcons smoker, a Bud Light cooler and a KanJam set. No cover or fee to play games.
What? That old thing? Perfect! Bedazzle the crowd at the Parma Tacky Christmas Sweater Party rocking Buford on Friday, December 19 from 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Don your fa-la-la-loudest holiday knit-nack (used, new or DIY-adorned), and perchance you'll win Parma house cash. DJ holiday tunes and Fireball eggnog keep the festivities spinning. Antlers optional.
Win a $200 party from Tin Lizzy's Cantina!
All you have to do is follow Tin Lizzy’s Cantina on Instagram
and post a pic of yourself with your favorite drink at Tin Lizzy’s. Then, tag
the photo with “#tlcdrink” and your cantina location. It’s that simple!
In
this Saturday’s “Run for the Roses,” both JCT. Bar and The Oyster Bar at The
Optimist earn spots in Atlanta’s winners circle by hosting Kentucky Derby parties featuring Bulleit Bourbon on Saturday, May 3 from 4-7
p.m. Beverage director Eduardo Guzman and Bulleit are lining up rich, oaky
flights of Bulleit Bourbon, Bulleit Rye and Bulleit 10 Year for $15. Four
signature Kentucky Derby cocktails pack some kick at $10 each: mint julep, old
fashioned, Kentucky 75 and the Brown Derby. Talk shop with Bulleit brand
ambassadors who are eager to spill liquor legends and lore. JCT. Bar guests can
graze on bar bites, such as “angry” mussels, pimento cheese, truffle Parmesan
fries, barbecue pork terrine, deviled country ham rillettes, JCT. burger and
shrimp and grits. At The Oyster Bar at The Optimist, purebred feed includes
small plates of seafood gumbo, smoked fish dip, seared octopus, roasted
asparagus, lobster roll and wood-roasted oysters. Ladies, fancy hats are
welcome at both parties. Gents, join in the “Derby Duel” between the two restaurants
– wear a necktie to JCT. or a bow tie to The Optimist. Hard to predict the
Derby outcome, but all bets are on a fabulous time at either of these fetes!
HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern
is in its fourth and fabulous year, and its ready to celebrate accordingly. With so many loyal, fun and energetic friends and neighbors to thank, the Midtown tavern decided to throw a party that will kick off four days of fun. The festivities begin on Sunday, March 2, with an anniversary party serving drinks, appetizers and live music from 3-6 p.m. Over the next four
days (Monday, March 3 through Thursday, March 6), the Tavern burger,
SweetWater 420, milkshake or cobbler is only $4 during dinner hours. Bite into the fun be-four it's over!
School may have just started, but that doesn't mean it's too soon to pull an all-nighter at RA Sushi Bar Restaurant's back-to-school bash beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 29. Leave the lunch box and thermos at home, because the themed food and drink specials are all straight-"A" hits. With a guest DJ and gift card prizes, you'll have plenty to party about while you study up on Professor Pineapple's wontons, School House shrimp and Teacher's chicken or fish tacos ($4-$7). Sushi studies highlight the Dean's roll and the Honor roll ($6), and Chemistry class stirs up concoctions such as All-Nighter sangria, Brain Freeze cocktails and the Bookworm Bite ($5). Beer and sake specials include School Girl hot sake ($5), Sapporo/Sapporo Light ($5) or Kirin/Kirin Light ($6). No need to enroll to get your hands on these rolls!
The 12 year anniversary celebration at Aqua blue in Roswell kicks into high gear on Wednesday, August 21, with a party and a special three-course menu priced at $20.01 per person to commemorate the 2001 opening. Read up on the menu on our blog, and don't forget about the live band, cake and champagne. Need more reasons to celebrate? Along with the recent introduction of weekday lunch service and the advancement of longtime chef Kien Sam to operating partner, party-goers will have a chance to win free dinner for a year. We'll raise a glass to that!
With so many friends
contributing to 12 successful years at Aqua blue in Roswell, the restaurant is stretching its
anniversary celebration over seven days beginning August 14 and culminating
with an anniversary party on Wednesday, August 21. Guests dining at Aqua
blue from August 14-21 can enjoy a special three-course menu for $20.01 per
person that features a tasting plate, entrée and dessert. Main plate options
include Maine lobster ravioli with portobello, fennel, chives and lobster
knuckle sauce; wild shrimp and scallop grits with Nora Mills stone-ground corn
grits, roasted tomato beurre blanc and julienne vegetables in a chardonnay
cream sauce; or grilled beef tenderloin pan-seared with whipped potatoes,
asparagus and Harvey's Bristol Cream mushroom sauce. Additionally, each table
of guests will receive a thank you card containing a surprise such as 10
percent off, a free appetizer or entrée or a $50 gift card. The official
anniversary party on August 21 boasts live music from the band Open the Skye,
complimentary cake and a champagne toast. That evening, each guest will receive
a raffle ticket for a drawing of free dinner for a year (must be present at the
night's drawing to win). In addition to marking 12 great years, Aqua blue also
is commemorating the recent start of its weekday lunch service and the
excitement over longtime chef Kien Sam becoming an operating partner.
