Babalu Morphs National Margarita Day into Baba-rita™ Week through Feb. 25

National Margarita Day, a holiday well worth its salt, is much too tasty to relegate to the official one-day status of Feb. 22. Babalu Tapas & Tacos expands on tradition, offering its signature Baba-Rita™ to guests for $7 — throughout the entire week! Si, Baba-Rita™ lovers can enjoy this potent sipper for just $7, now through Sunday, Feb. 25. The Baba-Rita™ is so smooth and desirable, Babalu trademarks the name for its perfect-o blend of Patron Silver tequila, agave nectar, fresh-squeezed sour mix, POM and triple sec. Guess you’ll have to experience one (or two) up close and personally at Babalu, in Midtown

Basque Sundays at Gypsy Kitchen Shine Light on Half-Off Bottled Wine, $6 Cocktails, Menu Specials

Sunny Spain shines brightly into the evening hours, even considering the earlier sunsets, at Gypsy Kitchen Basque Sundays. Guests are all aglow, radiant from cardio toe tapping to flamenco guitar music chased by $6 cocktail quenchers and sharing bottles of wine from the expansive half-priced selection. A rotating selection of yummy pinchos and montaditos from executive chef and chief culinary travel director Matthew Ridgway enlighten each week’s Basque Sunday menu. Samba in for drink specials starting at 5 p.m.; flamenco music kicks in something fierce from 6:30-9:30 p.m.

The Big Ketch Canton Street Turns One, Celebrates with a Splash October 16

The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill on Canton Street in Roswell is passing the one-year buoy marker and celebrating its first anniversary with waves of fun, food and drink specials on Sunday, October 16 from 2-8 p.m. A special $1 menu features oysters and other tasty bites to munch on while enjoying live music and lawn games. Choose your toasting beverage: $5 mojitos, $5 margaritas, $8 Tiki cocktails or $3 local canned beer. Be sure to enter the raffle for a $250 The Big Ketch gift card. Perhaps your ship will come in and you’ll win!

Come on, Get Happy with Weekly Hours of Buck-a-Shuck and Half-Price Oysters at Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar

The more mollusks the merrier during East Cobb’s newest tradition, oyster happy hours at Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar. Slurp away Monday-Friday from 5-7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 3-5 p.m. No need to dive deep into the wallet for these specials: buck-a-shuck ($1) oysters of the day, half-shell oysters at half price and oceans of house punch at $5 a glass. Oysters and punch smooth over a crabby day faster than you can crack into a briny bivalve. But then you won’t even have to do that because Drift does the handiwork for you. Aah, pearly perfection.

Buckhead Beach Party Celebrates End of Summer at The Big Ketch August 20

One last summer shindig unfolds at The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill on Thursday, August 20. Summer lingers on at the Buckhead Beach Party from 5-9 p.m. with live music, a special Low Country Boil dish ($9.50) and thirst-quenching drink specials including $15 beer buckets, $5 Deep Eddy cocktails, $3 Fireballs and $5 Absolut Moscow Mules. Don’t let summer slip away without one last bash at Atlanta’s favorite beach house.

Hang Ten! Point Break Beach Party Crests at Atkins Park Virginia-Highland July 17

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.

Smokebelly BBQ Barrels Past One-Year Mark with Anniversary Shindig May 30

A year has blown by faster than smoker clouds for Smokebelly BBQ, and the Buckhead barbecue joint is cueing up an anniversary party Saturday, May 30. They’re roasting a whole hog and divvying out portions for free from 3-4 p.m. (while grub lasts). Toss back drink specials such as $3 Curious Traveler Shandy and Angry Orchard drafts and $4 specialty cocktails throughout the afternoon and evening. Games, giveaways and live music continue the festivities until 12:30 a.m. On the patio, Anthony Crane strums out acoustic tunes from 5-7 p.m., and Bluegrass Flashmob Trio picks and grins from 7-9 p.m. Convoy takes the tunes inside for a full band stage experience from 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.

Infused Vodka, Sparkling Sunsets and $5 Piroshki Top Evenings at Nikolai’s Roof

Atop the Hilton Atlanta, Nikolai’s Roof does more than pour some of the best labels above town - they create their own. Come up to the Point of View lounge on Thursday nights and sample vodkas infused in-house with flavors such as lemon, lime and cinnamon, peppercorn, tea and orange, peach and caramel. A flight of three samples is $19.95. Enjoy $6 Sparkling Sunset drink specials and $5 piroshki every Monday – Friday from 5-6:30 p.m.

The Mill Kitchen & Bar Brings Monday Night Brewing Specials to Alive After Five in Roswell on August 15

The kids are back in the classroom and the daylight hours are dwindling fast. Summer is drawing to a close, so savor it while it lasts at Roswell's family friendly Alive After Five event, coming up on the third Thursday of the month, August 15. The streets will come alive with revelers strolling through the shops and galleries of Roswell's historic district to the sounds of live music from 5-9 p.m. Check out the evening's craft specials at The Mill Kitchen & Bar - the handcrafted brews of Monday Night Brewing. This local brewery operates under the mantra of "brewing for the weeknights." Last time we checked, Thursday nights qualify. The Mill will offer its regular menu of farm-to-fork regional fare served in smaller tastes and bar snacks on up to full entrée plates. Can't make it to this week's Alive After Five festivities? Don't forget that kids eat free from the kids' menu from 5-8 p.m. on weeknights, so the whole clan can stop by for some family fun any night of the week.

William Austin King Book Signing at Hearth Pizza Tavern on August 10

William Austin King, a student at Loganville High School, does more than just play the bassoon; this talented young man has self-published "Sleep," the first installment in his "Enlight" book series. This young author is also a pizza fan, so he's looking forward to visiting Hearth Pizza Tavern in Sandy Springs on Saturday, August 10 from 12-3 p.m. for a book signing and reading. Grown ups will enjoy a tasty special Sleep cocktail featuring Absolut Berri Açai vodka, fresh basil, cucumber, ginger and lime juice. Family-friendly refreshment is also on the menu with the non-alcoholic Awake cocktail, which blends pineapple juice, sour mix, orange juice and grenadine. 

Seven Lamps Rolls Out $1 Oysters, $3 "Champagne" Beer-Tails and Sunday Chicken & Waffles Specials

New food and drink specials at Seven Lamps in Buckhead are here to help you get the most out of your week. Keep spirits up during the work week and visit the Buckhead restaurant for $1 oysters and $3 “champagne” (Miller High Life beer-tails). The oysters and “champagne” are available Monday through Friday from 5-7 p.m. For a seriously satisfying and finger-lickin' end to the weekend, try the the new chicken and waffles dinner special. Available only on Sunday evenings from 5-10 p.m., executive chef Drew Van Leuvan whips up  juicy fried chicken, cheddar waffles plus a side, which will change each week. A half chicken portion is $16 and a whole chicken is $28. 

Hearth Pizza Tavern Pours Berry Cold Cocktails From New Menu

Summers in Atlanta can be real scorchers, and we're already shouting for relief. Luckily, the mixologists at Hearth Pizza Tavern heard our cries and have developed a refreshing new summer drink menu featuring the wonderfully sweet fruits of the season. The Sandy Springs hot spot is now serving up the Strawberry Fields cocktail featuring a muddle of strawberries, cilantro, fresh-squeezed lime juice, simple syrup and Absolut Cilantro vodka. The Orange Fizz brings Svedka Orange Cream Pop vodka together with ginger ale and a slice of orange for a refreshingly cool summer treat. Other bright newcomers to the drink menu include the Hummingbird, abuzz with peach and basil, and the Key Lime Pie martini that packs a Florida vacation in a glass. The St. Rita, featured in Simply Buckhead's May/June "Margarita" section, brings St. Germain to the Tequila Blanco and lime party. The Old Fashioned keeps things classic while the Simply White margarita drips with modern elegance. Can't decide which to try? Stop by on Tuesdays when any of the five martinis on the menu are $5, or visit on Thursdays for the same deal on margaritas. This way, you can try them all without even breaking a sweat (or the bank).

Stay Up Late on Sundays at Atkins Park Tavern in Smyrna and Come Early for Oyster Specials

      

When Sunday night rolls around, sometimes it's difficult to accept the fact that the weekend is coming to a close. For those of you not ready to succumb to the work week blues, Atkins Park Tavern in Smyrna stays open late on Sundays with live music from 9:30 p.m. until 4 a.m., $3 well drinks and $2 and $3 shot specials. Also on Sundays and Wednesdays, the restaurant is serving up New Orleans charred oysters and oysters on the half shell starting at 5 p.m. Make sure to come early as these are available on a first-come, first-serve basis!

Get Your Float on at Ray's on the River

Ray's on the River has created an adults-only treat by substituting real beer for the root beer to make delightfully delicious beer ice cream floats. From 3 - 7 p.m. today and tomorrow, guests can cool off with this childhood favorite turned cocktail! And we just got word that Ray's on the River will be offering these sweet treats every Thursday and Friday in September, too. The restaurant will also have $5 cocktails all day long, half-price appetizers and live music. Ray's on the River is located at 6700 Powers Ferry Road; 770-955-1187.

Pumped for the Patio Party

This time of year, it’s hard to pry myself from all the glorious patios with our perfect (well, pollen excluded) spring weather.  Celebrate your love of fine patio partying at Aqua blue on April 30!  Open the season with patio drink and dining deals and live music from the American Flyers, whose 7–10 p.m. concert simply can’t be contained indoors. 

From 4 p.m. until close, $5 buys a glass of wine or patio-perfect drinks such as Aqua blue Icy Hard Tea, Mojotini, Beam Rye-Ade and Avion Summer.  Imported beer runs $3.  Patio fresh air works up appetites that are easily appeased by the regular menu or the special $10 buffet featuring jumbo lump crab cake sliders, Maker’s Mark-glazed barbecue ribs, wild shrimp and scallop lime ceviche and slathered corn on the cob.   Hello spring evenings on Aqua blue’s gorgeous blue and white dressed patio!

Recession Proof Drink Deals

Who doesn't love a good time, or a night out on the town? Lots of restaurants in the area are making it more affordable than ever to head out and enjoy one of your favorite cocktails or a glass of wine. Here are some of the great deals hitting the Atlanta area. This way, you won't have to skimp on your beverages, or a night out with the girls.

Good times at Eclipse di Luna - Miami Circle are affordably endless. Bottomless, you might say, when you consider the $10 bottomless glasses of sangria on Sundays followed by buy-one-get-one-free Monday Mojito Madness. Friends can easily find their way to Buckhead's congenial tapas restaurant and bar where laughter flows as readily as the sangria, and sharing specialty tapas is a cinch.

Midway through the week you may find yourself in need of some relaxation. What better way to enjoy a Wednesday night than with Aqua blue Restaurant's wine flight? The $14 wine flight will consist of 3 different types of wine paired with a delicious cheese plate. Each Wednesday, a different wine and cheese pairing will be offered so don't be afraid to go more than once!

Half-off wine can never go wrong in my book, that is why I am so glad I heard about Woodfire Grill's deal to offer their wine list at half price every Thursday night through March! This 50 percent discount will be taken off every wine, both by the glass and by the bottle. The diverse list changes weekly to stay current with the best new releases from all over the world as well as to complement Chef Kevin Gillespie's ever changing menu.

Eclipse di Luna - Miami Circle: 764 Miami Circle; 404-846-0449.
Aqua blue Restaurant: 1564 Holcomb Bridge Road; 770-643-8886.
Woodfire Grill: 1782 Cheshire Bridge Road; 404-347-9055.

1st Annual Midtown International Wine Crawl Set For Saturday, November 15

I always complain that there’s not enough time in the day to hang out with my friends and get the amount of exercise a woman, ahem, my age, needs to maintain her girlish figure. Someone at AtlantaBarTours.com must have heard my rants, because this weekend, they are creating an opportunity to combine one of my favorite pastimes (hanging with my friends) with one of my least favorite (exercising) – well, sort of.

Saturday, at the first the 1st Annual Midtown International Wine Crawl, walk from restaurant to restaurant to enjoy wine and/or beer and food specials, including $5 glasses of red and white wines from West Coast wineries at Marlow’s Tavern - Midtown. Tickets are $5 in advance, $10 at the door. Buy tickets online or register at Eno Restaurant & Wine Bar from 1:30-5 p.m. on November 15. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Small Dog Rescue and Humane Society.

Marlow’s Tavern - Midtown: 950 West Peachtree Street; 404-815-0323.

$5 Martini Round-Ups Shake Things Up At Aqua Blue,Vita And Dogwood

Five-dollar martinis at Aqua blue, Vita and Dogwood are shaking up cocktail time from Roswell to Buckhead to Midtown! Aqua blue rocks the bar with Smirnoff martinis -- The Dirty South martini with olive juice; the Washington Apple martini with Washington Apple Burst and sour mix; the Tampa Bay martini with pineapple juice, peach schnapps, cranberry juice and a splash of sour; the New York martini with Pom juice, pomegranate schnapps and a splash of sour; and the Blue Martini that brings together Ketel One Citron, Island Blue Pucker, blue Curacao and a splash of sour. In Buckhead, lively NYC-Italianesque Vita shakes up $5 martinis all day, everyday. Down Peachtree in Midtown, Dogwood trades a Lincoln for a martini day in, night out, and backs Abe with heady regional fare.

Aqua blue: 1564 Holcomb Bridge Road in Roswell; 770-643-8886.
Dogwood: 565 Peachtree Street; 404-835-1410.
VITA: 2110 Peachtree Road; 404-367-8482.

Put the First Day of Fall on Your Calendar...and Celebrate at Dogwood

Here at MLA, we were all wondering “What happened to summer?” until we took a look at what the first day of autumn is bringing to the tables at Dogwood on Peachtree...it's time to welcome the new season and start salivating over this new menu. Beginning Monday, September 22, diners can start at the Grits Bar where Logan Turnpike’s creamy white stone ground grits are well complemented by wild mushrooms, butter-poached lobster or ham and pimento cheese ($4-$6). Southern-fried quail breast with buttermilk spoon biscuit, goat cheese-pepper gravy and red onion marmalade and sweet potato gnocchi in brown butter parmesan cream with toasted pecans are two tempters on the appetizer menu ($9-$15). Try a “soup flight” of three soups or go solo with a bowl of root vegetable puree with grilled wild boar-cranberry sausage and lingonberries, tomato bisque with Split Creek Farm goat cheese or the soup of the day ($6-$11). Main dishes call out to fall: SoCo glazed pork chops with caramelized shallots and sweet corn soufflé; pecan-rubbed tuna with fingerling potatoes, applewood smoked bacon, caramelized onion and bar-b-que drizzle; venison osso bucco with rosemary-parmesan grits and apple-turnip preserve; grilled Atlantic salmon with BLT sauce and grilled cornbread; and the comforting Dogwood burger or off-the-bone short ribs with smashed rutabagas and blackberry demi ($13-$32). Delish desserts ($6) such as blackberry-chocolate cornbread upside down cake with coffee gelato or hazelnut cheesecake with apple-cranberry compote and cheese selections will entice you to stay on until winter!

And if the new menu was not enough, Dogwood is enticing guests with drink specials, too. Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday guests can enjoy half-price Ketel One martinis and cosmos along with half-price bottles of wine up to $100. Fox Theatre patrons can take advantage of half price wines by the glass with the purchase of an entrée any day of the week. Dogwood: 565 Peachtree Street; 404-835-1410.