A foraging we will go. Or, thankfully a nearby scouter has sought and found local chanterelles for Aria chef Gerry Klaskala to sauté with olive oil and shaved shallots for a sprightly addition to the restaurant’s seasonal mix. Take a walk and absorb the sunshine and the view knowing to find these treasures you’ll only have cast eyes on Aria’s salad and soup selections.
Purists adore Simply French Toast on the weekend brunch menu at Food 101 American Kitchen & Bar. Classic French toast. Vermont maple syrup. 10x sugar. Why mess with perfection? Just eat it, and ease into a sweet weekend.
Even though it’s winter, herb-roasted chicken ($13 lunch/$15 dinner) at Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar
satisfies and comforts like a tall glass of sweet tea on a Georgia
summer day. Probably because the Joyce Farms airline chicken breasts are
brined in sweet tea before roasting so they’re tender and moist for
your fork. Fried okra and butternut squash gratin join the Southern
foods family reunion on a plate.
Cold weather calls for sinking your teeth into something savory, and Revival
chef Nicole Edwards knows exactly how to satisfy those comfort food
cravings and warm the soul with her crispy lamb shank ($32). Topped with
tobacco onions and lamb jus, this dish soothes even the deepest of
wintertime blues and is best enjoyed with Southern trimmings at a table
full of family and friends.
Brine Modern Seafood Shack’s Portuguese fish stew brims with a seaside soiree of fish, clams, mussels, Heywood’s chorizo, peppers, tomatoes and saffron ($21.95). Perfectly acceptable to slurp or sop up every drop at this casual eatery in the heart of Alpharetta’s Avalon development.
Skip the taco shell and go green with small plates of Louisiana BBQ shrimp lettuce wraps ($11) at Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar
in Virginia-Highland. Tender shrimp are all fired up to tuck in with
lemon, red bell pepper and onions in these refreshing wraps. Have
another and throw in a cold Abita beer while you’re at it, please.
Aria’s bartenders sure know how to mix a mean cocktail! The Cabrio Tour
is handcrafted with brandy, sloe gin, green chartreuse and egg white
and is featured on the new spring cocktail menu. Smooth and frothy, this
mixology masterpiece is the perfect start to a night on the town. Hurry in to snag a seat at the bar, then savor every second. Make dinner reservations online.
Make like a banana and split, hurrying over to your nearby Marlow’s Tavern to devour Marlow’s Fried Banana Split ($9). The crispy phyllo-wrapped, panko-crusted banana poses with a vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream trio, caramel sauce and salted caramel whipped cream. Share? That would be the nice thing to do
The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill crab and shrimp dip ($8.95) hits the spot for those still feeling a little crabby from clawing their way through tax forms. Plowing through this dip, served hot with pita chips, is pure pleasure. Hmmm. Can’t quite say the same for the taxes.
You rise with the rooster, ride herd with the rest of the commuter cattle call then head back to the barn to hit the hay at the end of the day. Somewhere in there, duck into HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern and fork into a colorful Farmhouse Salad sprouting romaine, arugula, rainbow carrots, watermelon radish, roasted tomatoes, HOBNOB’s pickle mix of mushrooms, fennel and turnips and a dose of green goddess dressing ($12.95). Yes, indeed-y, urban farm life delivers on garden-fresh goodness.
Himitsu means “secret.” That said, the word’s out about the “by-reservation-only” Japanese craft cocktail lounge in the heart of Buckhead with its unique cocktail program. Ben Yabrow and his bar team execute precise mixtures such as the Pandan, a crystal clear blend of Pandan rum, scotch, pineapple, coconut, spice and clarified milk. Clearly, amazing.
Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails nests tender jumbo lump crabcakes atop Meyer lemon-goat cheese grits with grilled asparagus and cracked mustard butter sauce ($34). Crown this dish king of the crustacean kingdom -- and hand over some forks.
Girl Scout cookies are here! The Sublime Doughnut team immediately ripped into the Sublime stash of Thin Mints and set to work crafting their immensely popular Thin Mint doughnut ($3) to delight Girl Scout cookie fans at both store locations. Wearing bright green icing and roughly crumbled Thin Mint cookies, the seasonal favorite is right in step with St. Patrick’s Day color schemes. And, like those leprechauns, if you want to catch one, you’ll have to move fast because when the Thin Mints are gone, so are these doughnuts.
We won’t have to sell you on the Merchant Burger at Seed Kitchen & Bar. Start drooling over the photo and let the hankering begin. Seed dresses the hefty half-pound beef burger with caramelized onions, white cheddar, tomato and merc sauce, barely leaving room for a side choice of fries or salad. The $14.95 Merchant Burger can be yours for lunch, dinner or brunch. Add bacon for $3 more. Brunchers get a crack at a fried egg topper for an additional $2.
Who’s the keeper of the secret cake recipe in your household? Carrot cake has graced the menu at Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails for 10 years, and it’s gluten free. Becoming nostalgic about carrot cake sends executive chef Derek Dollar back in time to reminiscing Sundays spent baking with his mother. Dollar’s interpretation swaps chickpea and rice flours for wheat flour and adds pineapple for luscious flavor and moistness. Share the recipe? Not happening. Cheer up, carrot cake crowd. There’s plenty to go around at Milton’s and the cake’s always a hit at Milton’s private events such as weddings, showers and birthday parties.
Is it a sin for a cinnamon roll to weigh a half pound? Not if it’s on the Sunday brunch menu at Revival, Kevin Gillespie’s Decatur restaurant. Thank heaven the old-fashioned warm cinnamon roll ($8) blanketed with oozy buttermilk frosting is easy to spot on the menu -- between homemade baked goods with honey butter and preserves and Revival’s cathead biscuit with spicy sawmill gravy. Righteous!
Super Bowl LI is in the history books, but Souper Combos live on at Willy’s Mexicana Grill. The fired-up duo pairs heartwarming tortilla soup with a crispy grilled cheese quesadilla for $7.95. Soft flour tortillas are stuffed with cheese and served with pico de gallo, cool sour cream, fresh-baked chips and salsa bar. Everyone’s cheering for this winter winner!
Instead of saying “Cowabunga,” exclaim “Calabaza!” If you’re at Jefe’s Tacos and Tequila in Brookhaven, Calabaza tacos are on the way. Corn tortillas hug butternut squash, kale, beech mushrooms, pepitas and chili honey brown butter ($3.25 each). The next question is, “How many?”
Another example of why Southern food rules – Ormsby’s Southern sweet potato chips. Chips the color of a Southern sunrise come backed by bacon (another Southern staple), blue cheese and tangy green onions ($6). Seriously, have you ever heard anyone tout Northern sweet potato chips? Doubtful.
