Appetizing Aperture: Ormsby's Black Bean Burger

If you’ve been shying away from bean burgers, thinking they are akin to hockey pucks, Ormsby’s shoots a game changer your way. Their new plump black bean burger packs powerful protein from beans and cheddar, soothing guacamole and the crisp crunch of tortilla chips…and somehow, they fit it all on an egg bun. Drop in and drop a 10-spot for this bean-eficiary burger.

Ormsby’s Taps Nick Anderson as Executive Chef

Ormsby’s in West Midtown welcomes executive chef Nick Anderson to its friendly fold. Growing up in Marietta, teenage Nick decided he’d rather cook for his family than mow the lawn or wash the dishes. His choice of “chores” turned into one of his greatest pleasures and propelled him to graduate from Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, North Carolina, and into culinary positions at several of Atlanta’s fine dining establishments including Spice and Canoe. He moved on to hold chef de cuisine roles at Tomo and Rathbun’s. At a holiday party, Anderson formed a friendship with two of Ormsby’s owners, Michael Goot and Leslie Battle, and their Westside restaurant became a favorite stop for Anderson, his wife and friends. Now, Anderson is thrilled to be a part of the Ormsby’s team and plans to add more local meat and produce to the menu offerings. He’s looking forward to inspiring the staff and welcoming guests when they drop by for a craft beer, his tempting pub fare and some bar game merriment.

FIGO West Midtown Forgoes Birthday Cake, Gives Out Free Tiramisu December 1

You only turn one once. Complimentary tiramisu is the proverbial icing on the birthday cake when FIGO Pasta West Midtown celebrates its first birthday on Tuesday, December 1. Stop by the newest location of Atlanta’s popular pasta restaurant at 907 Marietta Street, NW between 11:30 a.m. and 10 p.m. and receive a tiramisu dessert on the house. (No purchase necessary; one small tiramisu per guest at the West Midtown location only.) Your tiramisu is just one of more than 600 selections on FIGO’s menu that includes a variety of fresh pasta and sauce options, salads, antipasti, panini, meatballs and other FIGO favorites! Decking the halls? FIGO caters, too. More scoop: 404-963-7950.

Dish Reader Exclusive: Invite to FIGO West Midtown Private Anniversary Party on November 11

FIGO Pasta loves any excuse to kick into festivities mode. There are still a few weeks until the holiday season begins, but why let that diffuse high spirits? In the meantime, FIGO West Midtown is celebrating its first anniversary on Marietta Street with a party on Wednesday, November 11 from 5-7:30 p.m. The restaurant will be closed to the public for the party, but the FIGO staff extends a special invitation to Dish readers to come on over for complimentary light bites, wine, cocktails and a free gift to take home. To put your name on the guest list, RSVP today to Nicole@melissalibbypr.com.

FIGO Pasta’s West Midtown Location Enters Second Year of Pasta-Pleasing Euphoria In-House and Via Catering

We’ve long thought pasta paves the road to happiness, and now we have proof in the story behind FIGO Pasta in West Midtown. The sixth location of Atlanta’s popular pasta chain just celebrated its first anniversary of feeding the Marietta Street Artery neighborhood with made-from-scratch Italian recipes that have been passed down through FIGO founder Sandro Romagnoli’s family for generations. Romagnoli, a native of Certaldo, Italy, wasn’t always in the restaurant business. During a period of reflection, he realized serving and satisfying people made him extremely happy, and he changed his life course. FIGO guests find devouring themenu’s tasty traditions and re-invented classics, over 600 combinations in all, leads to their own chow-time bliss. The same enticing fresh pasta, sauces, sandwiches, specialties, antipasti, insalate and sweet dolci can be found on FIGO’s catering menu. Drop that hint and guests will clamor to attend FIGO-fueled meetings, parties or dinners. Boxed lunches treat noon right, and FIGO delivers. Call 404-877-8152 or email figocatering@figopasta.com. FIGO’s West Midtown restaurant serves lunch and dinner daily and offers free Wi-Fi and private parking. For updates, follow FIGO onFacebook, Twitter and Instagram. For more information, call 404-963-7950.

Guy Wong Reveals Personal Interpretations of Vietnamese Flavors on New Le Fat Fall Menu

At West Midtown Vietnamese brasserie Le Fat, Guy Wong’s new fall menu diverges from the classic traditional dishes inspired by his mother’s cooking to reflect Wong’s personal interpretation of Vietnamese food. Chili garlic prawns, anew entrée, features local Georgia prawns stir-fried with roasted garlic, onions and chili oil. Thit kho bowl brims with caramelized pork belly, pickled mustard greens, braised egg and grilled scallions. Wong’s take on drunken noodles, one of his childhood favorites, brings in Angus beef flank steak and fresh noodles from a mom-and-pop shop in Philadelphia’s Chinatown neighborhood. From 5-7 p.m. nightly, diners can snatch the banh mi bao appetizer filled with pork belly, carrot and daikon accented with cilantro and jalapeño, a dish Wong initially created while at Miso Izakaya, his Old Fourth Ward Japanese tapas and sushi spot. Traditionalists, take comfort. Wong is keeping the ones you love, including clay pot chicken, bo luc lac “shaking beef,” the fabulous pho noodles and his famous rotisserie half chicken with lemongrass, ginger scallion oil and jasmine rice. Makes mom proud -- and diners extremely satisfied. Dinner nightly, lunch weekdays; 404-439-9850. Photo credit Andrew Thomas Lee.

Snuggle Up With Ormsby's New Cool Weather Menu

The mercury is dropping and we're piling on layers upon layers to stay warm. Our next trick? Snuggling up with a brand new menu Ormsby's menu featuring a plethora of dishes aimed at satiating cool weather appetite. Crack open the menu online for pages of food, cocktail, beer and wine tempters. A few teasers? Sure. For starters, there are Guinness-dipped pretzels with stout mustard, hand-cut fries with pot roast gravy or other sauces, flank steak salad and a hand-dipped corn dog with Sriracha mayo. Entrées run wild from grilled fish tacos to veal meatloaf, coffee-rubbed prime rib, hefty sandwiches served with house-cut fries or ale-battered onion rings or bangers and mash with house-made brats. Ormsby's has a treat for sweet lovers, too, with chocolate bread pudding, chai tea crème brûlée and baked apple dumplings. Thirsty for more? Devour the descriptions and origins for more than 60 offerings of bottled beer, 16 draft beers and the carefully compiled wine menu. Slip into the West Midtown hangout and ask the friendly staff for a copy of of the menu to experience firsthand. 

No. 246 Visits Westside Provisions District for Pop Up Chef Series Lunch on September 25

This Wednesday is all about the Westside as Decatur's No. 246 brings lunch to the Pop Up Chef Series at Westside Provisions District on September 25. Make a pit stop at the ATM for this cash-only meal, then grab a boxed lunch and drink that will make the whole office jealous. Pop Up Chef serves from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. or until the victuals run out, so don't delay. Check Facebook on September 24 for menu specifics.

The Optimist Opens May 21, Bringing Sustainable Seafood To West Midtown

Photo by Andrew Thomas Lee

Fishermen embrace each day on the water as an opportunity to catch the next big one. As owner of The Optimist, West Midtown's soon-to-open sustainable seafood restaurant, Ford Fry finds the positive word appealing. The name "Optimist" was actually suggested by Fry's father, referring to a small sailing dinghy for children. Look for The Optimist and Oyster Bar at The Optimist to open Monday, May 21 at 914 Howell Mill Road. 

The restaurant will offer high-quality seafood, classically prepared in a wood-burning grill and oven and served in environs that evoke a vintage Savannah fishery feel. Weekdays, The Optimist lunch menu offers a selection of fish entrées, salads and sandwiches ($12-$19). Lunch might be crispy day-boat flounder with ricotta gnocchi, ale-battered haddock fish and chips or a chopped salad with wood-roasted organic chicken and local feta. 

Open nightly, the restaurant divvies up its dinner menu ($2.50-$26) into categories of On Ice, Start, Fish, Farm, Sides and Such, and Pies, Cakes and Frozen Stuff. Start salivating for East Coast oysters with fresh horseradish mignonette; Florida grouper with smoked Vidalia onion and horseradish broth; roasted Heritage pork with farm spinach and sherry onions; duck fat-poached swordfish with pickled sweet peppers and crispy pancetta; and buttermilk doughnuts, sweet corn ice cream and red pepper jam. 

For liquid refreshment, look for seafood-friendly wines from global coastal regions, American port-city microbrews and creative cocktails with a seaside twist ("The Truth As We Know It" martini has a smoked salmon garnish). Lunch is served Monday - Friday 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.; dinner Sunday - Thursday 5 - 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 5 - 11 p.m.

Oyster Bar at The Optimist, is a casual "fish camp" style place with an outdoor patio and of course, an oyster bar. Venice Beach in the 1970s? You're there now. Raw bar and small plate prices run $2.50-$14 for tempters such as peel-and-eat Georgia shrimp, smoked haddock chowder and Maine lobster roll with shoestring fries. An ice-display station features a daily punch and "oyster backs," mini-cocktails that pair with the day's raw bar specials. 

Doors open at 5 p.m. weekdays and 3 p.m. weekends. Closing? When the fish stop running for the night. Add the phone number to your contacts now to get ready: 404-477-6260. 

MLA Hearts JCT

It’s the time when I brag about how much I love my job, then flaunt our fun in front of all who dread sitting in traffic to head to an office they are still not quite sure they like. Last night’s episode: Drinks at JCT Kitchen. We got together to partake in the fun cocktails and catch up on the week’s events. JCT has a great bar on the second floor, which has both indoor and outdoor seating. Unfortunately for us, the weather was a little too chilly for us to sit outside, but as it gets nicer, I am sure this’ll be our second home (it’s only 3 ½ minutes from our new office – not that I was counting…) While a few of the girls took the safe route (wine), several of us tried the cool cocktails. Melissa and Caryn had the JCTea -- ice-tea infused gin, Grand Marnier, lemon, orange bitters, served up.

I had the Rough Rider -- vanilla-infused 10Cane rum, Mexican Coca-Cola, velvet falernum, served on the rocks – which, despite my girlish embarrassment from the name, was definitely strong enough for a man! Then, just to make sure we were hooked for life, the truffle fries came out. All I can say is I think we may need to do some studies to test the addictive properties of those fries…(In my best Schwarzenegger voice “I’ll be back!”)

Til the next episode, champagne wishes and cognac dreams! Don’t you wish your job was hot like mine!?!