Basque in the (Memorial Day Weekend) Sun at Gypsy Kitchen on May 29

Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer. What better way to welcome the al fresco season than to “Basque in the Sun” on the open-air patio at Gypsy Kitchen? On May 29, the Spanish restaurant in The Shops Buckhead Atlanta is hosting a special Memorial Day weekend edition of the popular Sunday social. Enjoy live music by a flamenco guitarist, flavorful paella, $4 tinto de verano, $5 glasses of rosé and half-off select bottles of wine. Flamenco and specials begin at 4 p.m.; DJ takes over from 7 p.m. until who knows when. Gypsy Kitchen will be closed on Monday, May 30, in honor of the Memorial Day holiday.

Johnny’s Hideaway Unfurls Pre-Memorial Day Bash May 29

How much fun can one squeeze into a holiday weekend?Johnny’s Hideaway packs a dance floor full -- and then some -- in a pre-Memorial Day bash on Sunday, May 29 beginning at 8:30 p.m. Band X, Atlanta’s favorite high-energy party band, provides adrenaline-pumping music, and cover is only $5. Hospitality workers enjoy Sunday night industry specials. Open into the wee hours of Memorial Day morning. Can we rank a salute for that?

Uncle Sam Wants YOU To Go Out and Eat This Weekend

Sticking around for the Independence Day Weekend?  No worries - there will be plenty going on in the area to raise your fork and wave a flag at.  Here are our picks for some patriotic weekend fun.

At Atkins Park Tavern in Virginia Highland, a pig is roasting in a China box in preparation for the 3rd Annual Pig Roast on July 4. A 70 - 80 lb. Riverview Farms Berkshire pig will go into La Caja China, a plywood box lined with metal. Glowing charcoal is heaped on top, and four hours later the pork is fork-tender perfect for the $15-per-person "Meat & Three" deal. Guests can choose pork and/or Big Green Egg-smoked all-natural chicken; three sides of your choice -- house-baked beans with smoked bacon, grilled corn on the cob, Atkins Park's famous potato salad, creamy cole slaw, vine-ripe tomato salad, braised pole beans and macaroni and cheese; Texas toast, three house-made barbeque sauces and a choice of Southern banana pudding or homemade peach ice cream. Seeing that July 4 falls on a Sunday this year, Atkins Park guests also will have the option of ordering from the Sunday brunch menu from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. or from the bar menu all day long.

On the northwest side of town, Atkins Park Tavern in Smyrna will host a Braves vs. Marlins bus trip. It's no wonder this special event sells out quickly: $45 purchases a roundtrip bus ride to the Braves vs. Marlins game at Turner Field, precluded by a pregame hot dog, Jagermeister and beer. (Market Village, 2840 Atlanta Road, Smyrna; 770-435-1887)


Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery adds a dash of live bluegrass to its red and white wines to unfurl the 8th Annual Reds, Whites and Bluegrass Brunch in the Vineyards. Celebrate the birth of the United States of America on July 4 over Southern regional cuisine with special wine and gift pricing. $30 per person (plus tax and gratuity). Call ahead to reserve your place at the 12:30 p.m. or 2:30 p.m. seating.

Go whole hog and honor Independence Day at the Woodfire Grill BBQ & Beer party from 5:30 - 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 3. Executive Chef and Partner Kevin Gillespie will roast a whole hog using his own Terminus City barbecue recipe. The three-course, all-American dinner is $38 per person (plus tax and gratuity), and SweetWater draft specials will keep beer mugs full all evening long. Beer sale proceeds will pour into SweetWater Brewing Company's "Save the Hooch" campaign for ecological stewardship of the Chattahoochee River and its tributaries and watershed. Seating is limited, and reservations are required.

RA Sushi is tipping its hat to the Red, White & Blue with its July 4th Stars & Stripes martini. Sip the patriotic cocktail at RA Sushi Friday, July 2 through Sunday, July 4.