Andres Loaiza, general manager and head sommelier at Aria, is introducing a new wine promotion, “One and Done,” a.k.a. #oneanddone. Tuesday through Saturday, Loaiza will select one outstanding bottle of wine to uncork and offer by the glass until the last drop is poured. Price per glass varies with the evening’s selection. Enjoy “One and Done” wines in both the bar and dining room. Pop onto Aria’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to see which “one” they will open. Plan is to offer the same wine, albeit a new bottle, on Tuesday and Wednesday, as well as Friday and Saturday. Thursday is a one-shot deal.
Article 14, home court to “Atlanta’s most expensive cocktail” -- the $99 Barrel of Jewels, knows discerning tastes don’t always have fat wallets. To bridge the gap, the Midtown restaurant is initiating a more purse-friendly “Perfect Pour.” The program introduces guests to the highly sought-after cognac Louis XIII de Rémy Martin through half-ounce ($40), one-ounce ($80) or two-ounce ($150) pours. Well-respected in the heady world of politics, fashion and art, Louis XIII de Rémy Martin is crafted by three generations of cellar masters using only grapes from the exclusive Grande Champagne territory of Cognac, France. Fermentation and distillation yield an “eau de vie,” which is aged up to 100 years in centuries-old oak barrels and then stored in its own cellar. Can’t mess with perfection, but you can pour it.
Saltwood Charcuterie & Bar will host a “Frenchman in Thailand” reception and four-course dinner with champagne pairings on Wednesday, July 22. Why Thai? In May, Saltwood executive chef and Master Chef of France Olivier Gaupin honeymooned in Thailand. Returning enamored with Thai cuisine (and his bride), Gaupin called upon Saltwood sous chef Chris Espanol, award-winning Thai chef Dee Dee Niyomkul (Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft) and Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne expert Olivier Zorel to create an intriguing cuisine and French Champagne pairing melding Thai flavors with the tastes and techniques of his own native France. $75 per person (excluding tax and gratuity). Limited seating. Reservations: 404-745-5745. Complimentary valet parking.
There’s a seat for you in the dining car with the likes of fried chicken and champagne when a “Soul Train”-themed brunch chugs through MAX’s Wine Dive in Midtown on Saturdays in May. The show “Soul Train” ran from 1971 through 2006, giving MAX’s Wine Dive plenty of footage to roll along with executive chef Patric Bell-Good’s themed brunch menu of comfort foods, plus $5 Bellinis and $3 mimosas, served by the glass. Wanna jump on? Pull in Saturdays from 11 a.m. -
4 p.m. In months with five Saturdays, the last Saturday (#5) pulls a well-planned wild card theme (e.g., a New Orleans Big Easy brunch). Menus, specials and prices vary weekly. MAX’s traditional brunch menu will be available, and the regular brunch menu also is available on Sundays from
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Call 404-249-0445 for information and reservations or make reservations online. Themes to come: The Breakfast Club in June and Tex-MAX in July.
Does anyone ever say, “Sure wish there were more hours to enjoy Monday?” Precisely. Monday tends to drag on the heels of its boisterous weekend siblings. Max’s Wine Dive, the Midtown restaurant and wine bar that pairs casual foods and fine wines, is out to drag the mundane weekday down a different path by teaming up with Atlanta’s best drag queens for “Monday’s a Drag” viewing parties featuring a classic drag movie or TV show each Monday from 6-10 p.m. Campy food and drink specials, such as $8 mixed berry sangria, $5 hibiscus Bellinis or $5 glasses of wine, will vary weekly and always raise spirits. Chef Patric Bell baked pink champagne cupcakes for the first “Monday’s a Drag” party -- who knows what delicacies he’ll “drag” out next. During the 6-10 p.m. timeframe, 10 percent of all food and drink sales will go to Lost-n-Found Youth, Atlanta’s only nonprofit organization dedicated to taking homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth off the streets and placing them into more permanent housing. Lost-n-Found Youth advocates and serves youth from 13-25 years of age. Stay tuned for what’s on the screen and more on Facebook or at #MondaysADrag. Save a seat on Max’s reservation page or by calling 404-249-0445.
In the spirit of Valentine's Day, we bring you a romantic event to put on your calendar next week. On Friday, February 21, the Alliance Française d'Atlanta will host Champagne et Chocolat, an elegant evening of bubbly Champagne, savory hors d'oeuvre and tastings of hand-made chocolates from Chocolate South and Europe. Blend Custom Perfumes will be on hand with a preview of their chocolate-inspired perfume. The 7-9:30 p.m. event takes place at the Alliance Française d'Atlanta in Colony Square, Midtown. Ages 21 and over only. Purchase advance tickets online: $35 for AllianceFrançaise d'Atlanta members and $40 for non-members. $45 at the door.
Weekends are always the highlight of the week, so there's no reason you should settle for the same old bowl of cereal to start the day. What do you do to make those days off really count? Old Vinings Inn Bubble Brunch pops to mind, rising and shining with three courses and bubbly pairings on Saturdays 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and Sundays 12:30-3 p.m. Start off with an appetizer of either truffled
lobster mac and cheese fritters or a charcuterie plate with house-pickled
vegetables, cured meats, D2 duck, burrata with honey and peanuts, pimento
cheese and EVOO herbed flatbreads. Entrée choices include
crab cake Benedict with fried green tomato and hollandaise; shrimp and grits
with andouille sausage, okra, corn, Creole beer broth and soft-poached egg; or
sweet potato gnocchi with red wine beef jus. Dessert choices include pumpkin crème
brûlée or apple strudel
with vanilla bean ice cream. Bubbly pairings by course are Ferrari Brut, Italy
NV; Pol Roger, Champagne NV; and Lamberti prosecco rosé, Italy. $45 per person
(not including tax or gratuity); offered for a limited time. Make reservations online or
call 770-438-2282.
The city of Atlanta is bubbling with excitement over 10th & Piedmont's upcoming event. From Wednesday, February 12 through Tuesday, February 25, the Midtown restaurant invites guests to experience Caviar & Bubbles. This annual event is a tasty experience that won't leave you, or your wallet, hungry. Mouthwatering á la carte items are made with farm-raised sturgeon caviar developed by the University of Georgia and perfectly paired with a select bubbly. Tempting choices grace the menu like "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" plate paired with Zonin prosecco. Larger sampler platters are also available to share. And if caviar isn't your thing, don't worry - the regular menu will be served daily. Reservations can be easily made online!
We're ready to pop the cork on the new year and are on the lookout for some colorful new ideas to help celebrate. Raise a glass to all the ideas on our "Toast to the New Year" Pinterest board, then shake up your glasses with candy cane
cocktails, gingersnap martinis, caramel apple hot toddy or a
champagne-inclusive cocktail sure to tickle the fancy of champagners everywhere. 2014, here we come!
