Chef Dinner at Umi Raises $24,000 for Charity on May 1

A sold-out, all-star chef dinner hosted by food writer Kate Parham Kordsmeier and photographer Heidi Geldhauser, held May 1 at Umi, raised nearly $24,000 for charity. The inaugural event for the Emily Cameron Art Scholarship, honoring the late photographer Emily Cameron, gave $10,000 to Atlanta-based painter Natalie Escobar. Kordsmeier and Geldhauser, along with Cameron’s parents, established the scholarship to change the life of a service-industry worker pursuing a career in the arts. The remaining $14,000 in proceeds was donated to The Giving Kitchen to go toward crisis grants for members of Atlanta’s restaurant community facing unanticipated hardship. Some of Atlanta’s most-celebrated chefs, including Fuyuhiko and Lisa Ito of Umi, Gerry Klaskala of Aria and Joey Ward of Gunshow, united to prepare the multi-course meal at Umi. To toast the occasion, Gunshow’s Mercedes O’Brien mixed a signature cocktail named “The Emily,” featuring bourbon, SHISO liqueur, honey, lemon, seltzer and strawberry absinthe ice pearls.

"Foodies Show Heart" in Charity Sushi-Rolling Competition at RA Sushi

Atlanta's top food bloggers and media are rolling up for a good cause at the first-ever "Foodies Show Heart" charity sushi-rolling competition hosted by RA Sushi Bar Restaurant. The competition is sure the be fierce as contestants pair up with a RA Sushi chef to create and name their own signature roll at the Midtown restaurant on Thursday, October 24 from 7-9 p.m. Guests will sample the creations at the tasting event and allocate their token of approval to their favorite sushi roll. A live DJ and special food and drink pricing make this event even more spectacular. Once the votes are tallied up and a champion is crowned, their winning roll will join the menu for 30 days, and a portion of the proceeds from its sale will benefit the winner's charity of choice. Contestants participating and charities represented include: Chris Watkins ("eat. drink. repeat." blog) for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; Sandy (Atlanta food blogger, "Bella Vivere" author) for Susan G. Komen; Da Vinci ("Your Life After 25" blog) for Wellspring Living; Mara Davis (co-host of "Atlanta Eats") for Ruffus Rescue; and Sonia Chopra (editor of "Eater Atlanta") for Camp Twin Lakes. Let the sushi games begin!

Help Cover Bantam + Biddy Windows with Autism Speaks Puzzle Pieces

April's window treatment at Bantam + Biddy uses colorful puzzle pieces interlocking in support of the Autism Speaks puzzle piece fundraising campaign. Midtown neighbors already know of the Ansley Mall eatery's devotion to assisting local charities, and Autism Speaks occupies a special niche in Co-owner/Executive Chef Shaun Doty's heart. If you're in the area to eat, shop, visit Piedmont Park or the Atlanta Botanical Garden this month, Doty and Co-owner Lance Gummere encourage you to stop in and purchase an Autism Speaks puzzle piece. You'll receive a brightly hued puzzle piece -- with a place to write a name and a message -- to add to the window's $1,000 puzzle-building goal. Nothing puzzling about where the money goes. All money raised goes to nonprofit Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, for funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism. Will you be a part of the process in finding the missing piece?

Bonefish Grill in Emory Point Hosts Free Charity Event on December 8 to Celebrate Grand Opening

The Emory area becomes an "eat coastal" destination with the opening of Bonefish Grill in the new Emory Point development on Monday, December 10. Succulent wood-grilled fish, seafood and chops, innovative sauces and indulgent desserts fill the menu of this ZAGAT award-winning restaurant. Polished yet casual, Bonefish Grill is a beacon for those in the mood for the popular ahi tuna sashimi, PEI Mussels Josephine, "American-style" Kobe beef burgers or market-fresh daily seafood specials. Liquids are equally inviting, encompassing inventive "bar-fresh" cocktails, unique craft beers and interesting wines. Every Wednesday is Bang Wednesday, when signature crisp-tender Bang Bang Shrimp comes with a spicy sauce for just $5. The community-oriented restaurant reaches out to help both its nearby and global communities. On the evening of Saturday, December 8 from 5:30-8 p.m., Bonefish Grill will host a tasting event to benefit Friends of Music at Emory. Entry is free, but seating is limited. Tickets can be acquired online and donations are welcomed. An open kitchen, large bar, hand-blown glass lamps and big, three-dimensional art all add to the welcoming ambience of the Florida-based restaurant. Dinner service begins at 3 p.m. daily; Sunday brunch is offered from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Reservations welcome, 404-235-4024.

Charitable Cocktails Keep on Giving at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar and Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub

 

During October, every last drop of the sales of “Sweet Charity” cocktails at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar goes to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The elegant new Cocktail for a Cause combines Lillet Rose-infused wine, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur and soda water served over ice in a wine glass with a raspberry garnish. You’ll find the cocktail on Fleming’s “5 for $6 ‘til 7” bar menu and available after 7 p.m. for $9.95. 

In Brookhaven, Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub is mixing up three cocktails to go toward Breast Cancer Awareness. At month’s end, The Susan G. Komen Foundation will receive a portion of the proceeds from the sales of  “Walk for Linda” combining Campari, Maestro Dobel Tequila, limoncello, grapefruit, lemon and elderflower syrup ($9); “Breast Cancer Awareness Pisco Punch” with house-infused strawberry and raspberry pisco, fresh lime, pineapple and agave nectar ($8.50); and “ILBT” mixing Bols Genever, mint syrup, fresh lemon, hibiscus liquor and Belgian triple ale ($10).

Appetizing Aperture - Battle of the Burgers

  

 

Atlanta restaurant burgermeisters are flipping out. Which one will win "Best Burger" at this Saturday night's Battle of the Burgers at John Howell Park in Virginia Highland? Assuredly, the rare competition will get juicy. Just look at Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub's burger, pictured here. Every ticket sold enables Embraced to place gently used medical equipment in the homes of five more families around Atlanta and around the world. Read more about the 501 (c) (3) nonprofit at www.embracedatlanta.org.

Chef Bands Take the Stage for Charity at Eats & Beats on May 7

Ford Fry of JCT. Kitchen & Bar and Joey Riley of Kaleidoscope Bistro and Pub have something in common that you might not expect. We all know they're skilled chefs, but did you know that they're talented musicians as well? Fry's band is called Five Bone Rack and Riley is one third of The Right Way Trio. On Monday, May 7, they'll take the stage and perform with two other chef bands at the Buckhead Theatre for Eats & Beats. Along with great music, you can also expect plenty of tasty treats to go along with those tunes. Sample dishes from top-notch restaurants including Chicken and the Egg, JCT. Kitchen & Bar, Kaleidoscope, No. 246 and Spice Market. Tickets to the 7 - 9:30 p.m. event are $60 for general admission and $125 for VIP (early entry at 6 p.m. and access to private premium bar, wine tastings and additional restaurants). Not only will this be the most fun you've had on a Monday night, you'll also be doing your good deed for the day. The event benefits children of sanctuary workers and Children of Conservation, an organization dedicated to the conservation and protection of endangered species in third world countries through education, habitat preservation and wildlife sanctuary support. 

Golden Opportunity to Feel Good at Yeah! Burger



I can haz cheezburger?

Living in the Virginia-Highlands area, there are plenty of options for me to choose from when I'm craving a burger. One of my frequent picks is Yeah! Burger, also a favorite of Bon Appetit Magazine. Every Tuesday at the Virginia-Highland location is Feel Good Tuesday, with 10 percent of sales going to a local charity or school. Tomorrow's percentage of sales will benefit Adopt a Golden Atlanta, the second largest golden retriever rescue in the nation. Come in for lunch or dinner and choose from grass-fed beef and bison, all natural turkey, chicken breast and veggie burgers, hot dogs and salads. Make sure to reward yourself for your charitable donation with this month's featured milkshake, French toast and bacon!

Find out Whose Beard is Most Feared at the Battle of the Beards on Saturday

With the mustachioed month of Movember over, it’s time to show off Atlanta’s finest beards. Make sure to use your beard bars to look your bearded best, and head on over to the first ever Battle of the Beards! On Saturday, December 3, Woodfire Grill's Kevin Gillespie and his fiery red beard will be one of the celebrity judges plucking winners from the chin-coiffed pack. Open to ages 21 and older, the party at the Highland Inn Ballroom will have events the hirsute and not-so-hairy will enjoy including festival merchandise, local artist vendors, live music, stand-up comedy, food trucks and a full bar. Be on the lookout for "Best Beard," "Best Stache," "Best Partial Beard," "Most Creative," "Best Grooming" and "Overall Champion." For ladies who want to join in on the fun, we’ve got you covered. Get creative and enter the “BEST LADY BEARD" category! A portion of the proceeds from the 7 - 10 p.m. event will go to Mustaches for Kids' fundraising efforts for CURE Childhood Cancer. For tickets, visit battleofthebeards.net.

We’re also giving four lucky facial hair fans a chance to win their way into the Battle. Leave a comment below by 10 a.m. tomorrow and tell us your favorite celebrity beard for a chance to win a pair of tickets. Winners will be chosen at random and tickets will be available for pickup at the event. Good luck!

Start Your Weekend with "Summer of Giving" at Fleming's

Charity budgets have taken a bite over the past few years with demand up and donations down.  Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar is eager to help out and is hosting a series of fundraisers during their "Summer of Giving" series benefiting local charitable organizations.  Each event will feature wine and hors d'oeuvre pairings in the restaurant's private dining room.  Fleming's will donate 20 percent of each night's proceeds to the particular charity being recognized.  

The "Summer of Giving" begins this Friday, July 8, when the restaurant welcomes The Learning Tea, followed by Kate's Club (July 15), Atlanta Children's Shelter (July 22) and Camp Twin Lakes (August 5).  All events are from 6 - 8 p.m. and are $25 per person.  Call Fleming's at 770-698-8112 to purchase tickets. Fleming's also is giving a $25 gift card to "Summer of Giving" attendees to use at their next visit.