Buy Taste of Atlanta Tickets Now and Save

Tickets for the 15th annual Taste of Atlanta are now on sale. Atlanta’s must-do food festival is already on your calendar for October 21-23 so jump on buying tickets before prices rise August 1. General admission is $20; fork over $65 for tickets to the VIP Grand Tasting Experience with exclusive tasting opportunities. Starting August 1, ticket prices rise to $25 general admission and $75 VIP. Enjoy more, save more by purchasing tickets now for the special Friday night kickoff party featuring drool-worthy bites from The Optimist, Marlow’s
 Tavern and Colletta. Pay $55 for general admission tickets and $70 for VIP access to this event through July 31 or $65/$85 starting August 1. For those new to Atlanta, Taste of Atlanta is an unforgettable food, craft beer, wine and cocktail festival where guests savor tastes and spirits from Atlanta’s hottest restaurants and trendsetting chefs. Admission to the festival nets each guest 10 “Taste Points” to purchase nibbles, bites, sips and samples. Additional “Taste Points” are available for $1 each. Nibble on the list of participating restaurants, including Seed Kitchen & Bar, The Big Ketch and Smokebelly BBQ and start craving! Visit TasteofAtlanta.com and follow updates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Atlanta Restaurants Figure into a Day or Night on Holiday Ice Rinks

Thinking ice skating over the holidays? Triple axels, Salchows and nose plants all work up a hunger game for something hot to nourish the soul, spirited hydration or a toasty night cap. Use your tactile-tipped gloves to tap these links leading to restaurants within easy gliding distance of ice skating rinks around Atlanta.

Legacy Restaurant Partners accommodates a variety of cravings, and its restaurants are only a few steps away from the Centennial Olympic Park ice skating rink in downtown's Luckie Marietta District. For that Alpen glow, visit Der Biergarten where you'll find hefty hot pretzels, plates or sharing platters of hearty German fare, warm apple strudel or German chocolate cake to go with coffee and the flow of German beer, wine and cocktails. Open for dinner weeknights and lunch through dinner and beyond on Saturday and Sunday. SkyLounge on the roof of the Glenn Hotel is the evening place to stargaze or scan a panoramic city view with mug or cocktail glass in hand. Start or cap the day on the rink with American comfort food for breakfast, lunch or dinner at Glenn's Kitchen located inside the Glenn Hotel. Skaters seeking more thrills can zoom into Game-X to test their prowess at more than 60 of the latest games, plus big burgers, sandwiches, appetizers and a full bar with craft beer and beverage offerings. Tantalizing aroma of Italian classics and coal oven-fired pizza beckon at Max's Coal Oven Pizzeria, which is open daily for lunch and dinner and offers half-price bottles of wine on Mondays. A few blocks away by street and 30 floors up atop the Hilton Atlanta, Nikolai's Roof reveals a stunning view for those enjoying appetizers and drinks or a brilliant dinner from the modern menu of American cuisine touched by Russian inspiration. Take advantage of the $39 prix fixe three-course menu Tuesday through Friday from 5:30-6:30 p.m. The restaurant serves dinner and drinks Tuesday through Saturday evenings; dinner reservations suggested. Those seeking a tropical vacation after their icy spins can sail into Trader Vic's Atlanta on the lower level of the Hilton Atlanta. Tastes of Polynesian and Asian flavors chase chills while potent tiki drinks and cocktails numb any bruises from spills. 

Lace up for Skate Atlantic Station's 10,000 square-foot open-air ice skating rink in a winter wonderland of lights and decorations. Go with the floe then thaw out over a deep steaming bowl of drunken noodles, pho noodle soup, Tin Drum curry, pad thai, Asian tacos and other Asian street and comfort foods at Tin Drum Asiacafé. Hot teas, a kids' menu and gluten-free options keep everyone warm and well fed. You smoked them on the ice now bite into succulent smoked ribs, meats and seafood, awesome 'cue sauces and Southern sides, raw bar oysters and sashimi at The Pig & The Pearl. Craft cocktails and beer and a well-priced wine menu are conversation icebreakers. Open for lunch and dinner daily. Select oysters are $1 each Monday-Thursday from 4-6 p.m. Sunday Funday brunch pours drink specials, and Sunday supper runs all day with three courses for $30. Is your egg nogging after spinning round and round the rink? Relax at laid-back Chick-a-Biddy where showing off your Skate Atlantic Station wristband from the day slices 10 percent off your meal tab (excluding alcohol). Open for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. For more flights of fancy, refer to Chick-a-Biddy's 12 Days of Giving specials on our blog.

Brand-spanking-new Avalon in Alpharetta has turned their Plaza into an ice skating rink the size of NYC's Rockefeller Plaza rink. Twinkling lights, a gingerbread house and decorations cast a festive glow, and Santa is hunkered down in his workshop nearby to delight the youngsters. Shop Whole Foods Market for healthy snacks, bakery items and hot beverages, soups, pizza and other hot food items or pick out a take-home meal from their extensive prepared foods counter. Forget your ChapStick or lotion? Problem solved. Marlow's Tavern is perched by the Plaza fountain for people watching while munching on gourmet American tavern fare and enjoying a favorite hot, frosty or spirited beverage. Marlow's is open for lunch, dinner and well into the evening. One block south of the Plaza, Bantam + Biddy serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and offers vegetarian and gluten-free options plus a "Little Cluckers" menu for the kids. For the time crunched, family meals serving three to five people for $48 are a take-home option; call 678-248-5159. Ted's Montana Grill also is just a block south of the rink and definitely the place to go to beef or bison up with a big burger or steak after an ice skating workout. Ted's is open daily for lunch and dinner and offers a full bar for appetizers, desserts and libations.

History and elegance gleam at The St. Regis Atlanta where the Astor Holiday Ice Skating Rink pays homage to the distinguished Astor family, founders of the flagship St. Regis in New York back in 1904. Swizzles and twizzles amid the holiday lights and tunes guarantee a festive mood that segues nicely into dinner and drinks in Buckhead. Gypsy Kitchen and The Southern Gentleman offer two distinct dining personalities in Buckhead Atlanta. Gypsy Kitchen caravans the culinary miles of Spain, from Andalusia to the Basque regions joined by Moroccan and Indian influences from across the seas and modern-day Spanish flavors. A menu of snacks, small plates, cured meats and cheeses, appetizers, entrées and plates for the table are smooth post-rink options for date night or groups seeking a place to sit down for a communal dinner with wine, brews and craft cocktails. The Southern Gentleman proves you can use "ice" and "South" in the same sentence. This newly opened gastropub is Buckhead's destination for classic, barrel-aged Southern cocktails, a lengthy list of bourbons and rye whiskeys plus New World wines and craft brews. Supper guests will devour executive chef Randy Lewis' fresh spin on Southern classics. If frozen "pond" twirls set cravings toward sushi and Japanese fare, focus on sophisticated yet earthy Umi. Chef Fuyuhiko Ito's menu showcases sashimi, nigiri and specialty rolls and draws upon ocean-fresh seafood from the world's finest markets. Umi's diverse beverage list pleases those seeking anything from cocktails and crafts to artisan coffee. The restaurant serves dinner Monday-Saturday and is closed Sunday.

Gunshow and King + Duke Heat Up GQ's Best Restaurants of 2014 List

It didn't take long for the city of Atlanta to catch the bug - and now, it's spread across the nation. Symptoms of this epidemic include: uncontrollable cravings for unique cuisine, addiction to energetic atmospheres and inability to turn down a dinner invite. The culprits: Kevin Gillespie's Gunshow and Ford Fry's King + Duke. The national buzz created by these Atlanta restaurants have landed them on GQ's list of "The 12 Most Outstanding Restaurants of 2014." Alan Richman, the magazine's award-winning food correspondent, remembers the moment his revelation hit. While at King + Duke, Richman recalls, "I sat up straight and thought: This is the one. This is informal American dining, perfected." His experience at Gunshow left him saying, "I don't recall so many styles of cooking from one restaurant kitchen, and each dish is successful, because every cook specializes in the cuisine he or she knows best." We couldn't agree more, Alan - this list has certainly received the Peach State's stamp of approval!

Atlanta Restaurants: Snow Day Status - Round Two

The snow is back for a second visit to the Peach State, and many Atlanta-area restaurants are taking early precautions. Check in with us for updates on what's going on at the city's best spots:


Open Thursday:

• 10th & Piedmont 
• Article 14
• Atkins Park - Virginia Highland 
• Bantam + Biddy - both locations open at 12 p.m.
• limited menu, full bar
• Chocolate South 
• G's Midtown
• Glenn's Kitchen
• Gunshow
• Hearth Pizza Tavern - open at 1:30 p.m.
• HOBNOB
• Marlow's Tavern 
• Northlake, Vinings - open at 11:30 a.m.
• Emory Point, Midtown - open at 12 p.m. (Midtown has a limited menu and full bar)
• Alpharetta, Duluth, East Cobb - open at 12:30 p.m. 
• Kennesaw - open at 2 p.m.
• Cumming - open at 4 p.m.
• Dunwoody - open at 5 p.m.
• Max's Coal Oven Pizza
• Milton's Cuisine & Cocktails 
• Old Vinings Inn
• Ormsby's - open at 5 p.m. 
• Osteria Cibo Rustico - open at 5:30 p.m.
• RA Sushi - open for ToGo orders during lunch, dinner - open until 9 p.m.
• Ray's at Killer Creek - open at 4 p.m.
• 50% discount to uniformed personnel and Ga Power employees
• Ray's in the City 
• 50% discount to uniformed personnel and Ga Power employees
• Ray's on the River - open at 4 p.m.
• 50% discount to uniformed personnel and Ga Power employees
• The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill - open at 5 p.m.
• Tin Lizzy's - all locations open at 4 p.m. 
• Umi
• Willy's Mexicana - many locations open for normal hours, call your neighborhood location

Closed Thursday:

• Aqua Blue - closed for lunch
• Bistro 191
• Chicken and the Egg - closed for lunch, dinner - TBD 
• Game-X
• JCT. Kitchen and Bar 
• Kaleidoscope - closed for lunch, dinner- TBD
• King + Duke
• Market Street Cafe
• No. 246  
• St. Cecilia
• Sweet Dee's Bakeshop
• The Optimist
• Willy's Mexicana - AT&T Lindbergh, AT&T Midtown, GA State, Peachtree Center, Piedmont Park, Hapeville, East Cobb, Decatur and Ponce locations

Atlanta Restaurants: Snow Day Status

Georgia weather is known for being temperamental, but when snow hit ATL for the first time in years, two inches of white threw everyone off schedule - especially Atlanta restaurants. Here's what's happening today at some of the city's most popular spots:

• 10th & Piedmont: bar is open for lunch and the restaurant will open for dinner

• Aria: closed

• Article 14: open

• Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar, Virginia-Highland location: open from 11:30 a.m. to 3 a.m.

• Bantam + Biddy Ansley: open today at 11:30 a.m. and will remain open for dinner

• Bantam + Biddy Crescent: closed today and will reopen tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. for lunch and dinner

• Big Ketch: closed 

• Bistro 191: closed

• Chicken and the Egg: closed today

• Chocolate South: closed, Thursday – TBD

• Fado Irish Pub & Restaurant: open this afternoon

• G’s: open for dinner

• Gunshow: open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

• Hearth Pizza Tavern: closed

• HOBNOB: open for lunch with full bar and limited lunch menu and the restaurant will open for dinner

• JCT. Kitchen & Bar: closed 

• King + Duke: closed

• Max’s Coal Oven Pizzeria: open

• Market Street Café: closed

• Marlow’s Tavern: all locations closed for lunch, some locations will try to reopen for dinner. Update: Marlow's Tavern at Northlake will be open all day. Marlow's Midtown will open 4 p.m. for cocktails only.

• Milton's Cuisine & Cocktails: closed  

• No. 246: closed 

• Old Vinings Inn: closed

• The Optimist: closed 

• Ormsby’s: closed       

• Osteria Cibo Rustico: closed 

• RA Sushi: closed 

• Ray’s on the Creek: closed

• Ray’s on the River: open at 2 p.m.

• Ray’s in the City: open

• STATS: open for dinner

• St. Cecilia: closed 

• Sweet Dee’s Bakeshop: closed

• Tin Lizzy’s Cantina: closed 

• Umi: closed

Take the labor out of Labor Day at ATL restaurants - and lots more - in this week's Dish

With Labor Day right around the corner, we've got you covered for good eats and cool events in this week's Dish. If you're not already receiving the Dish, be sure to sign up on our Facebook page or right here on our blog.

Flashdance back in time to "1983 Summer of Love" at Atkins Park Tavern - And Lots More - In This Week's Dish

Watermelon, peaches, beer, sandwiches, ping pong - yep, it's still summer! Find out about this week's best culinary happenings in The Dish. If you're not already receiving the Dish, be sure to sign up on our Facebook page or right here on our blog.

Light up your July 4th with firecracker ideas from ATL restaurants - & More - In This Week's Dish

Hot enough to fry an egg on the Atlanta sidewalk this week? Probably, but we'd rather dine at one of these upcoming delicious events in The Dish! You can sign up either here on our blog or on our Facebook page. Thanks for reading!

Be Prepared For Father's Day (Even If Dad Is Not A Boy Scout)

If you missed last week's list of Father's Day ideas, don't waste time fishing around to find it. Click here to jump to our blog for our full list of restaurant specials and lip-smacking ways to celebrate with the coolest of dads, yours.  

Good Morning, Atlanta - It's Time For The Dish

Fancy a little pollen with your coffee? It's time to grab the allergy meds, sit down and enjoy the week's best culinary news in The Dish. If you're not receiving the Dish every Tuesday morning in your inbox, you can sign up either here on our blog or on our Facebook page!

Rock Your Shamrocks With This Week's Culinary Happenings in Atlanta Dish

The coffee is hot and the Dish is here! If you're not receiving the Dish every Tuesday morning in your inbox, you can sign up either here on our blog or on our Facebook page.

Lots To Gobble Up for Atlanta Diners This Thanksgiving

Decision time. One, nail down those Thanksgiving meal plans (and be thankful for so many choices). Two, what to do about braving Black Friday, even as it edges into Thanksgiving Thursday. Tough choices, but remember, Atlanta restaurants are ready to come to your rescue with order-ahead meals, dining-out reservations and spreads...and plenty of places for bargainistas to take refuge on Black Friday.  

The night before the relatives arrive, both locations of Atkins Park Tavern will be holding a Thanksgiving Eve Party to usher in the holiday! Then enjoy Big Green Egg smoked turkey breast with caramelized apples, sage stuffing and cider gravy, along with braised pork shoulder with roasted root vegetables and bourbon glaze at Atkins Park Tavern in Virginia Highland starting at 5 p.m. Thanksgiving Day. Atkins Park Tavern in Smyrna opens doors at 4 p.m. to serve deep-fried Creole turkey breast and Dr. Pepper spiral glazed ham for the main course joined by Southern sides of pimento cheese deviled eggs and pickled beet and squash casserole with a cracker topping. At both restaurants, the meal is $20 for adults, $15 for young adults and $8 for children 10 and under (tax and gratuity are not included). And yes, there will be desserts. Reservations are recommended; call Virginia Highland at 404 -876-7249 or Smyrna at 770-435-1887.

At Midtown-fave Briza, seasonal American cuisine with Southern inspiration tops the tables on the day's Thanksgiving turkey plate along with fall squash soup and pie served until 8 p.m. Or, take advantage of the lounge and bar area's all-day menu. Reservations are recommended; call 678-412-2402.

Head north to Marietta for a traditional Southern meal at Chicken and the Egg, where the menu offers a choice of entrée, three sides and a dessert. Served 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; $18 for adults, $10 for children 6 to 12 and free for children 5 and under (tax and gratuity are not included). Reservations are recommended; call 678-388-8813.

Ease into the kitchen and simultaneously enjoy your company by including the New York Butcher Shoppe in Dunwoody or Sandy Springs on your guest list. Turn over your own casserole dishes, and they'll fill them with your choice of sides to serve 8 to 10 people. Sides include green bean, squash or broccoli casseroles, Grandma Mary's potatoes au gratin, mashed regular or sweet potatoes, mac and cheese, sausage or bacon/egg casserole, roasted veggies or roasted baby dill carrots, and an array of salads including tomato, basil and fresh mozzarella, Caesar, Greek pasta or broccoli.  There's even cranberry sauce and turkey gravy. Talking turkey, theirs are $2.99 a pound and come in three sizes to feed 6-8, 9-12 or 13-16 people -- and they'll brine your turkey for you. Fresh Tanglewood Farms free-range, all-natural turkeys are raised in North Carolina and packed fresh, not frozen or deep chilled. These are the same turkeys featured by four- and five-star restaurants and private clubs! Contact your nearby shop via email or phone:  Dunwoody at 770-399-6328 or Sandy Springs at 404-303-0704.

"RA Retail Therapy" at RA Sushi Bar Restaurant reveals food and drink deals extended from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. on the busiest shopping day of the year, November 25. You have time to rack in some retail action first -- RA Sushi's doors open and specials begin at 11 a.m. Shop the menu of more than 35 sushi, appetizer, and tapas selections, plus a wide variety of beer, wine and signature cocktails ranging from $2 to $7.

Two Ray's Restaurants locations will dish up Thanksgiving feasts. Spoon some of this, more of that from the extensive Thanksgiving buffet at Ray's on the River at the perimeter top end. $39.95 for adults and $19.95 for children 5-10; available from 10 a.m. until the last seating at 7:45 p.m. For reservations, call 770-955-1187. A few miles north at Ray's at Killer Creek in Alpharetta, savor a Thanksgiving meal of roasted turkey, house-made dressing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and succotash. The by-the-plate cost is $27 or choose the three-course option with soup or salad anddessert is $36. For reservations, call 770-649-0064.

Southerners seeking kitchen relief can turn to South City Kitchen Midtown and South City KitchenVinings, where doors will be open from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. A special three-course menu offers guests their choice of one appetizer, entrée and dessert, priced at $39.95 for adults and $19.98 for children 12 and under (tax and gratuity are not included). Reservations are recommended. If you prefer a Thanksgiving meal at home, order a complete dinner to go for eight people for $200. Included are a boneless, roasted turkey breast, collard greens, buttermilk whipped potatoes, cornbread dressing, giblet gravy, cranberry sauce, house-made biscuits and corn muffins and a whole pumpkin or pecan pie with whipped cream for dessert. Orders must be received by Monday, November 21 for pick up on Wednesday, November 23. For reservations or to-go orders, call Midtown at 404-873-7358 or Vinings at 770-435-0700.  

The pilgrims ventured west, but you can head towards a Southeast Asian-inspired Thanksgiving meal at Spice Market in the W Atlanta-Midtown for $39 per person (tax and gratuity are not included). The menu is available from 5 - 9 p.m.  For reservations, call 404-724-2550.

Home chefs saying "yes" to impressing guests with their own poultry prowess can order an American Standard Bronze turkey from White Oak Pastures (WOP). Raised in an open-pasture lifestyle, WOP's Free Range Pastured Turkeys are very different from the hybrid industrial turkeys filling freezer cases during the holidays. No antibiotics, no added hormones, pure taste. Three sizes:  $75 small (8-12 pounds), $100 medium (12-16 pounds), $125 large (17+ pounds). Shipping costs are calculated per mile per pound. Order online or by calling 229-641-2081.

Who's the Best?

Atlanta magazine's Best of Atlanta party was last night at the Cobb Galleria Centre, and, in terms of restaurants, it really was the best of Atlanta! All the hot spots were there, including Ecco, Fogo de Chao, the GLOBE and Watershed. Yum!

The Cobb Galleria isn't my first choice for an event like this; as my favorite GLOBE bartender said, "it has no soul." BUT, that certainly didn't keep the crowds away; by 8:30 p.m. most of the top restaurants were already out of food?!

Some of the standout dishes from the evening included GLOBE's Campari sorbet with homemade lemon sugar cookies, Via Elisa's sweet potato gnocchi, and Watershed's custard with blood orange sauce. I'm sure I would have loved Ecco's dish too, but it must have been everyone's favorite since they were totally out by the time I got there. Fogo served mini-bites of bacon-wrapped filet, lingucia sausage and beef ancho. The linguica sausage has always been my preferred cut of meat at Fogo, and it was just the right mix of salty and spicy to temper all the sweet treats of the evening.

Overall, it was a tasty evening out!

Old Mick's Peachtree Location Becomes VITA in March!

Finally! The old Mick's eyesore on Peachtree has gotten a facelift. If you ride by you can already see a lot of the changes outside - the awnings should be up this week. I was lucky to get a tour inside and it's beautiful! The new restaurant, owned by Tony LaRocco, will be called VITA and is set to open March 17.

A lot of Atlantans know Tony as the guy who brought us Fratelli di Napoli. He brought "family-style dining" to Atlanta WAY before Maggiano's did! He eventually sold the wildly successful Fratelli restaurants and moved to Florida and we haven't seen much from him in a few years.

One day the word started spreading through the restaurant community that Tony was sick. Really sick. Turns out he had leukemia - the worst kind. Having known Tony since I did his opening PR for Fratelli back in 95 or 96, I knew he'd make it through. But it really didn't look good there for a while.

The good news for everyone is that Tony is completely recovered and is going to bring us a classic New York Italian restaurant which he named VITA for "life." And yes, for those of you who know to ask, he will be serving the famous and delicious rigatoni with vodka sauce!!! Yay!