Shave $1 Off Beverages after 1 p.m. at Perks Coffee

Perks Coffee has an antidote for afternoon drowsies: a perk-me-up of $1 off any beverage after 1 p.m. any day of the week. Sneak out and grab a cuppa real, fresh ground and brewed coffee (not the break room insta-blend) for the office, plop down with your laptop (free Wi-Fi) and plow through the workload without office distractions or latch onto a cup to nurse on the long ride home. Perks uses locally roasted beans from Rev Coffee for a rich cup of joe that’s spot on with locally made bakeries and pastries. The Windy Hill - Marietta coffee shop serves a whole “latt-a” coffees, lattes, macchiatos, Cuban coffee, cold brews, hot and iced teas, hot chocolate and smoothies. Stop by and “chai” one on.

Appetizing Aperture: Chicken and the Egg

Only the tipsiest bananas will do for banana pudding ($5) on the “After Supper” menu at Chicken and the Egg in Marietta. Woodford Reserve imbues a bit of Southern spirit, along with ‘nilla wafers and Chantilly cream for a bit more sweetness and light. Makes you wonder, why not indulge before instead of waiting until “After Supper.”

Five Years for Seed Kitchen & Bar Merits Special Menu Benefitting Share Our Strength, Nov. 1-5

This week marks five years of serving East Cobb and beyond for Seed Kitchen & Bar owner and executive chef Doug Turbush -- and Turbush and his team are ecstatic to gift guests with a special three-course dinner menu available Tuesday, Nov. 1 through Saturday, Nov. 5, and gift a portion of menu proceeds to Share Our Strength. Seed’s celebratory menu, offered in addition to the regular menu, includes choices such as chicken-fried Gulf oysters with habanero aioli; beef short rib ravioli; grilled redfish with butternut squash; smoked ham hock with stewed red beans and collard greens with andouille and buttermilk slaw; and Maple Leaf Farms confit duck breast with creamed Brussels sprouts. Maple custard made with Chantilly cream and Georgia pecan biscotti and an apple bread pudding with sorghum-bourbon ice cream and caramel entice as dessert choices. Cost is $39.95 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Next door, sister restaurant Stem Wine Bar also is celebrating a birthday and hosting a sold-out wine dinner on Nov. 1 in honor of its third anniversary.

Appetizing Aperture: Reel in a Lobster Roll from Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar

For the best lobster rolls, go deep. Deep into cool Maine waters for lobsters and deep down to the bottom of the dinner menu at Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar in Marietta. Drift’s much-raved-about lobster roll floats among the sandwiches ($25). Catch one New England-style, served cold with lemon mayo, or bite into a decadently hot buttery roll. Either way, fries and slaw anchor the plate. 

Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar Launches Lunch June 1

Starting Wednesday, June 1, OTP-ers feeling landlocked at lunchtime can easily sail into Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar at The Avenue East Cobb for their midday meal. Doug Turbush’s Marietta restaurant known for high-quality, sustainable and fresh seafood will serve lunch daily from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Executive chef Brendan Keenan casts a midday menu with starters, sandwiches, “Catch” seafood entrées, soups and salads and raw bar favorites such as peel-and-eat shrimp and raw oysters. Lunch nets a school of dinner specialties as well, including lobster rolls served warm with drawn butter or cold with lemon mayo and chowder fries topped with Benton’s bacon, fried clams and Fresno chile. The Drift burger is always a hit with landlubbers and comes stacked with American cheese and wood-grilled onions and a heap of fries. The AJC recently reeled Drift’s lobster rolls onto its list of “7 lobster rolls you’ll be eating this summer.” All the more reason to Drift over for lunch. 

Marlow’s Tavern Opens Second Marietta Location on May 17

Feel the love -- and feed it delicious food and crazy good cocktails. Cobb County has so embraced Atlanta’s favorite neighborhood tavern that Marlow’s Tavern is opening its newest location at 2960 Shallowford Road in Sandy Plains Centre on Tuesday, May 17. Those in the Sandy Plains area will find lots to love about their new neighbor -- classic American dining, thirst-quenching libations, world-class hospitality and a covered patio. New chef-driven spring dishes such as Banh Mi Chicken Wrap, Pan-Seared Crusted Barramundi and Firecracker Shrimp join already popular salads, sandwiches and burgers -- all focused on fresh ingredients. General manager Matt Breska relays the welcome mat is out. Come on over and unwind with one of beverage hospitality manager Jefferson Garrido’s hand-made signature cocktails, a cold bottled, canned or local craft brew or glass of wine from the global selection. Open for lunch and dinner daily from 11 a.m. Information: 770-693-8278.

Siblings Seed Kitchen & Bar and Stem Wine Bar Sprout Another Year, Celebrate with Special Menu and November 2 Wine Dinner

Seed Kitchen & Bar and Stem Wine Bar are rounding the bend on another year and celebrating their anniversaries in delicious ways. To mark its fourth birthday, Marietta’s Seed Kitchen & Bar cultivates a special three-course menu available Monday, November 2 through Saturday, November 7. Next door, younger sibling Stem Wine Bar commemorates its second anniversary with an exclusive wine dinner on Monday, November 2. Tis better to give than receive, so both are donating a portion of the celebratory proceeds to Share Our Strength, a national nonprofit dedicated to eradicating childhood hunger. Seed’s anniversary prix fixe dinner, available in addition to the regular menu, offers course choices such as entrées of Acadian redfish, Maple Leaf Farms duck leg confit or Barolo-braised beef short rib ravioli (see menu details here). $35 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Come to Stem’s November 2 anniversary wine dinner to enjoy gougère and canapè hors d’oeuvre and pairings of Maine scallop crudo with 2010 Iron Horse Wedding cuvée; sablefish with red miso and pommes sarladaise and 2012 pinot noir from Shea Wine Cellars; bacon-wrapped rabbit saddle with a 2001 La Rioja Alta "Gran Reserva 904" tempranillo; Snake River Farms wagyu beef rib-eye cap with 2012 Meyer cabernet; and a molten chocolate tart with hazelnut tuile and vanilla bean ice cream in a port reduction paired with a Sandeman 30-year-old tawny port. $119 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Call 678-214-6888 to make reservations for either Merchant’s Walk establishment; Seed Kitchen reservations also may be made here.

Stem Wine Bar Hosts Five-Course Wine Dinner Featuring New Zealand’s Esk Valley Estate June 11

Stem Wine Bar on the upside of the Perimeter in Marietta, showcases Esk Valley Estate, a boutique winery from down under in New Zealand at a five-course wine dinner with pairings on Thursday, June 11 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Esk Valley Estate senior winemaker Gordon Russell travels northward for the evening to discuss the wines paired with Stem chef/owner Doug Turbush’s sumptuous spring menu. Pairings include yellowtail hamachi with grapefruit, ginger, kaffir lime and toasted sticky rice served with 2013 Esk Valley sauvignon blanc; crispy stuffed squash blossoms filled with house-made ricotta, nasturtium and salsa verde paired with 2012 Esk Valley Hawkes Bay chardonnay; pan-roasted Carolina quail with Carolina Gold rice and Sea Island red pea griddle cake with pepper jelly alongside Villa Maria Taylors Pass pinot noir; Wagyu beef short rib romesco with pinot noir onions and chanterelles served with Reserve pinot noir; and dessert of chocolate ganache tarte with Bing cherries and pistachio ice cream enjoyed with 2012 Esk Valley Gimblett Gravels red blend. Reserve and purchase seats in advance, $119 per person (includes tax and gratuity). 

Taste of East Cobb - Top Restaurants and Entertainment for the Whole Family May 2

Marlow’s Tavern, Seed Kitchen & Bar and Stem Wine Bar are three restaurants offering samples at the Taste of East Cobb going on Saturday, May 2 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. in The Fountains of Olde Towne at 736 Johnson Ferry Road in Marietta. Tastes from East Cobb’s best restaurants take top billing, backed by live music and entertainment; a Kid’s Zone with inflatables, sand and spin art and face painting; a raffle and silent auction and a hotly contested “Best Taste of East Cobb” competition. Free admission; taste tickets cost $1 each, and offerings are priced from one to five tickets. Buy taste tickets at the event, or to save some bucks, buy tickets online and pick them up at the event pre-sale booth.  

Appetizing Aperture

 

 

We're thinking seafood! Enjoy delicious crab cakes hand crafted by Marietta's newest seafood restaurant, Pier 213 Seafood. Just look at this beauty. Hunks of fresh, tender crabmeat from the Gulf, seasoned, pattied and seared to a luxurious golden brown hue. Dress casual, ride the tide to Marietta and place your order at the counter to get yours for lunch any day or dinner Monday through Saturday.

New Pier 213 Seafood Brings Gulf-to-Plate Goodness to Marietta

Chances are Gulf Coast vacationers have heard of Irvington Seafood in Mobile, Alabama - or enjoyed their premium seafood at Atlanta-area restaurants over the past eight years. Now, owners and Marietta residents Kevin and Kammie Sakprasit are bringing their experience and expertise to their own community with the opening of their own eatery, Pier 213 Seafood on Wednesday, February 13. Located just a few blocks from the historic Marietta Square at 35 S. Marietta Parkway, the new venue is a family friendly, fast-casual restaurant where the brother and sister team can share their passion for seafood with their own neighbors. Guests contemplate the variety of fried, grilled, and steamed plates, po’ boys, sandwiches and the signature crab cake dish ($6.99-$15.99) before ordering at the counter. Shareable appetizers, sides and homemade desserts round out the menu delivering five-star flavor without five-star prices.

Celebrate Chicken and the Egg’s First Anniversary With Fun Prizes, Discounts, Contests This August

Congrats to Chicken and the Egg! This delicious Marietta restaurant opened in August 2011 and is now celebrating its anniversary month with a variety of specials and contests to thank guests for their support throughout the eatery’s first year.

Feeling lucky? The restaurant will hand out golden eggs containing different prizes to each table Monday, August 13 through Thursday, August 16. The prizes range from complimentary beverages to a dinner for two!

Chicken and the Egg is also offering a teacher appreciation special from now through Tuesday, August 14. Teachers who show their school ID to their server will receive 15 percent off their meal and can register to win a Chicken and the Egg sponsored class party!

If you've been snap happy with your camera or iPhone on your past visits to Chicken and the Egg, be sure to check out the restaurant’s Facebook photo contest to submit your photos from the restaurant’s first year of being open. The contest will run until Tuesday, August 20 and the tasty prize is dinner for two – a $50 value!

Throughout the month of August, the restaurant will also host a family recipe contest, and guests can submit their recipes at the restaurant. Taft will pick a winner and feature the dish on the restaurant’s September menu along with the winner’s name and information on his/ her family.

Oh, Chicken and the Egg – it seems like just yesterday we were falling in love with our very first amazingly scrumptious bites of your fried chicken and macaroni & cheese… how time flies! 

Chicken and the Egg Clucks its Way to the One-year Mark

Time to celebrate! As of August 1, Chicken and the Egg will have prepared, served and wowed Marietta diners with its seasonally inspired Southern farmstead fare through all four seasons. The local favorite has more than a few specials and promotions lined up to fit the occasion. Like a birthday present, they will be a surprise and good ones at that. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for more details!

What Happens When the Chicken Crosses the Road? He Ends Up at The Taste of Marietta!

This week may have been chilly, but Mother Nature changed her mind just in time for the weekend! What better way to enjoy a perfect spring day than strolling around the Marietta Square, sampling delicious eats from local restaurants at Taste of Marietta on Sunday, April 29! You’re sure to find something yummy this year, especially since Chicken and the Egg is participating, along with 70 other town favorites. The festivities will begin at 11 a.m. and end at 7 p.m., and with four entertainment stages, a Sports Corner, a Kids Alley filled with fun games, and numerous shops and museums, there is sure to be something for everyone. Enjoy free admission, and only pay between $.50 - $4.00 for food samples at booths. Concession stands will be set up to purchase drinks and for your convenience, you can park off-site and ride the trolley to the square. For a complete schedule and FAQs, visit the website. You have to leave Rover at home for this one, but take back a tasty sample and I’m sure you’ll be forgiven!

Chicken and the Egg Menu Is Loaded With Dishes And Drinks To Give Comfort and Joy

Put away the tropical beach brochures and browse the menu at Chicken and the Egg in Marietta to plan a cold weather escape route. Lunch, dinner and weekend brunch menus are loaded with one tummy-warming dish after another. Pimento cheese fritters, buttermilk fried oysters, calamari and rock shrimp fish fry or a cup of roasted tomato soup are must-try starters, and black-eyed pea "hummus" is said to bring good luck in the New Year ($4.50-$9). 

Daily lunch blue plates bring a meat and two veggies for $9 and include rib-sticking recipes for meatloaf with tomato gravy, fried chicken breast, chicken and dumplings, beef tips and rice, fried catfish and more -- plus veggie choices of mashed potatoes, green beans, black-eyed peas, baby carrots, braised greens and mac and cheese. The list of hefty sandwiches features the grilled cheese on brioche with tomato soup combo; the Farm House burger with cheddar, a fried egg and bacon; the FGT burger (fried green tomato); the veggie-piled "Plant;" the Georgia shrimp po' boy and a BLT with FGT ($9-$11). 

Dinnertime brings out a colorful beet salad with tart apples and candied walnuts; a pear and pecan salad with arugula, shaved fennel and blue cheese; and a Caesar with grilled Georgia shrimp ($5-$14). Southern supper entrées please with sweet Georgia shrimp and grits, country-fried ribeye, duck breast with roasted root vegetables and Gouda grits, trout, short ribs, portabella stroganoff, spicy bayou pasta and more ($14-$19). Sweet finales include "coffee & donuts" of beignets and café au lait crème brûlée, a peppermint ice cream sandwich, sticky toffee pudding and chocolate buttermilk cake with vanilla ice cream ($5-$6). Brunch has a filling combo of traditional morning dishes such as crab cake Benedict plus steak and eggs, as well as lunch and supper favorites ($4.50 - $14). These are just a few morsels -- more dishes, drinks and $5 "Peeps" menu for little ones 12 and under are on the website.

Our Appetizing Aperture of the Week

When fall weather really hits, the best dinners are often the comforting ones!  We love Chicken and the Egg's spin on a comfort classic, Chicken and Dumplings.