Appetizing Aperture: National Sangria Day at Uncle Julio's

Thursday, December 20 is National Sangria Day - cool stuff at Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food. Take it straight up in homemade sangria-on-the-rocks or stir your straw around in The Swirl, Uncle Julio's signature drink that layers homemade frozen sangria and frozen margarita. Ho, ho, ho, it's quite a festive swirl of deep red and pale green in a frosty mug. 

Celebrate Taco Tuesdays at Uncle Julio's in Buckhead

For a limited time, Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Cuisine in Buckhead is offering beef or chicken tacos (crispy or soft) for $1 all day on Tuesdays. Dine in only and available only at the Peachtree Road location. Excludes grilled fajita, carnita, fish and brisket tacos. Such a deal, you might as well have some sangria or a margarita with your meal!

Calling All Party Animals to Jazzoo, Zoo Atlanta's Wildest Night of the Year

More fun than a barrel of monkeys, Jazzoo Atlanta on Saturday, October 13 is the party habitat for Atlanta's young professionals. This jungle jam runs amok from 6:30 -11 p.m. at Zoo Atlanta. All-inclusive tickets cover grrrrreat food from more than 30 restaurants -- The Pinewood, RA Sushi and Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food included -- full bar watering holes and four stages of live music and entertainment. Proceeds support Zoo Atlanta's gorilla and orangutan programs such as the Great Ape Heart Project. Creative cocktail attire is a must! Unleash those leopard prints and sequined zebra stripes and perk up your mane with some animal ears. YouTube videos from last year's event show how crazy those human animals can be. Tickets are priced as regular or VIP, and there are group discounts for human herds of 10 or more. More information:  jknox@zooatlanta.org.

Labors of Love -- These Restaurants Are Open on Labor Day

 White Oak Pastures - Photo by Angie Mosier

Not the grilling type? Look no further than these Atlanta restaurants for your holiday weekend.

Alon's Bakery and Market has almost everything you'll need for that Labor Day cookout -- bread, cheese, chips, snacks, desserts, wine, beer, sides and more. Plan to shop before 4 p.m. (They'll close then so their employees can have a little R&R of their own.) 

For burgers, pick up some White Oak Pastures grass-fed and sustainably raised beef or chicken to throw on the grill! Locally, it's available at Whole Foods Markets and area Publix stores. 

Both Atkins Park Tavern locations (Virginia Highland and Smyrna) will be open, with big screens tackling college football games at the Smyrna location. In Midtown, head for Ecco or RA Sushi Bar Restaurant. 

In Virginia Highland, hit The Original El Taco for chips, guac, Tex-Mex and plenty of cold cervezas and margaritas, or settle in at La Tavola Trattoria for dinner centered on regional Italian fare. On the northern Perimeter, Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar will serve from the "5 For $6 'Til 7" menu from lunch through dinner hours. 

Around town, both locations of Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food (Buckhead and Sandy Springs) and all Marlow's Tavern locations will be ready for you and your friends, as well as Ray's in the City and Ray's on the River. Please note that Ray's at Killer Creek will close on Sunday, September 2 for renovations and will reopen soon to welcome back guests.

Memorial Day Openings and Closings

Gearing up for a nice "staycation" this upcoming Memorial Day weekend, but don't feel like spending time in the kitchen on your day off? Here's a list of restaurants that will be open and ready to take care of the cooking on Monday.

• Alon's Bakery & Market (Open from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m.) 
• Alpine Bakery and Trattoria 
• Atkins Park Tavern (Smyrna & Virginia Highland) 
• Double Zero Napoletana 
• Ecco 
• The Original El Taco 
• Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar 
• La Tavola Trattoria 
• Marlow's Tavern (All locations) 
• Ormsby's (Opens at 5 p.m.) 
• RA Sushi 
• Ray's Restaurants (Open from 12:00 p.m. - 9 p.m.) 
• Ray's in the City and Ray's at Killer Creek will have "Buy One, Get One" entrees during dinner. 
• Ray's on the River will feature half price wine during dinner.
• Spice Market
• Uncle Julio's (Buckhead & Sandy Springs)

Restaurants that will be closed Monday: 

• Alma Cocina 
• Aqua Blue Restaurant & Bar 
• Aria 
• Chicken and the Egg 
• JCT Kitchen & Bar 
• Kaleidoscope Bistro and Pub 
• Market Street Cafe 
• No. 246 
• South City Kitchen (Midtown & Vinings) 
• The Optimist & Oyster Bar at The Optimist 
• Woodfire Grill

Whatever your plans may be, have a safe and relaxing holiday!

DIY: Uncle Julio's Pineapple Bacon Guac Recipe

Prepare to share. Fix Uncle Julio's pineapple bacon guacamole for Super Bowl Sunday, and you're sure to be bombarded with recipe requests for this playoff of fresh, sweet pineapple, crisp bacon and creamy/chunky avocados. Because Uncle Julio's Rio Grande Café guacamole is a major ingredient, we've included the recipes for both.

Uncle Julio's Pineapple Bacon Guacamole

Ingredients:

1 cup Uncle Julio's Rio Grande Café guacamole

2 tbsp. diced pineapple (¼" dice)

2 tbsp. chopped, cooked bacon (½" pieces)

½ tsp. diced red bell peppers

For Garnish:

1 piece green leaf lettuce

1 tbsp. chopped, cooked bacon (½" pieces)

2 tsp. queso fresco

1 tbsp. diced pineapple(¼" dice)

1 lemon wedge

Directions:

Place guacamole in mixing bowl. Add pineapple, bacon and red bell pepper and fold into guacamole carefully. To serve, top lettuce with guacamole, sprinkle with bacon and queso fresco and side dress with diced pineapple and a lemon wedge to squeeze on guacamole. Serve with tortilla chips. Serves 2-3.

Uncle Julio's Rio Grande Café Guacamole
Yield:  6 cups

Ingredients:
6 Haas avocados
Guacamole oil ( ¼ cup olive oil infused with 1 peeled and minced clove of garlic)
Juice of 2 lemons

1 tsp. salt, to taste
½ cup tomato, chopped
¼ cup white onion, chopped

Directions:

Halve and pit the avocados. With a tablespoon, scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Mash the avocados using either a fork or potato masher, leaving them a bit chunky. Stir guacamole oil into avocado. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Salt to taste. Lay a piece of plastic wrap tight on any remaining guacamole so it doesn't brown and refrigerate. To serve, scoop onto a green leaf lettuce leaf, sprinkle with ¼ oz. white and yellow cheese and garnish with a lemon wedge.

Our Appetizing Aperture of the Week

This week, we're loving these delicious after dinner drinks featuring Patron XO Café at Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food! A sweet way to finish any meal, for sure. 

Celebrate National Tequila Month at Uncle Julio’s

Today kicks off the start of July and a holiday weekend. It also marks the beginning of another notable event. July is National Tequila Month! What better way to cool off during the summer then a margarita in your hand? Lucky for you, Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food is ready with 15 types of tequila backing the bar and a wide range of tequila-based drinks. Raise your glass -- first making sure it's filled with one of the Uncle's signature tequila drinks such as the new Patrón classic margarita made with Patrón Silver Tequila, Patrón Citronge Orange Liqueur and fresh-squeezed lime juice; the Swirl (a frosty blend of frozen margarita layered with frozen sangria); the classic frozen margarita, frozen strawberry margarita or Chambord margarita; or the Baja Gold (a frozen margarita mixed with Corona).

Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food: In Buckhead at 1860 Peachtree Road, NW; 404-350-6767. To-go line: 404-974-2991. In Sandy Springs at 1140 Hammond Drive, NE; 678-736-8260. To-go line: 678-736-8261.

The Fourth Is For Food, Brews and Freedom!

The Fourth of July falls on a Monday this year, opening up the weekend to a huge display of that favorite American pastime -- eating and drinking with family and friends. Whether you choose to grill on the deck and entertain at home or head out, Atlanta restaurants cover you in a star-spangled way.

Atkins Park Tavern in Virginia Highland will be hosting its fourth annual pig roast on July 4. Chef Andrew Smith will roast a whole Riverview Farms Berkshire pig and will offer smoked all-natural chicken. Order off the $15 "meat and three" menu brimming with grilled corn on the cob, potato salad, braised pole beans, vine-ripe tomato salad, Texas toast, three house-made sauces and a choice of Southern banana pudding or caramelized peach ice cream for dessert. Atkins Park Tavern will be open late on Sunday, July 3 for the holiday weekend, too. (794 North Highland; 404 -876-7249)

The "Red, White & Brew" menu at Marlow's Tavern continues to help Atlantans celebrate "life, liberty and the pursuit of happy hour" through July 25. Perfect for the patriotic holiday, the menu is all about summertime in America. While you're chillin' on Independence Day, enter the Second Annual Marlow's Tavern Grilling Recipe Contest -- maybe you'll win the Big Green Egg! Find out more and find a Marlow's Tavern location near you on their website.

New York Butcher Shoppe locations have meaty plans for your Fourth of July cookout and an especially big day planned at their Dunwoody location, which marks the starting point for the Dunwoody Fourth of July parade. The Dunwoody store will open at 7 a.m. on July 4; early parade goers can purchase breakfast tacos, coffee, iced coffee and mimosas. Throughout the weekend, folks in Dunwoody can stop by to enjoy specials on BBQ sandwiches and wings. All three locations -- Alpharetta, Buckhead and Dunwoody -- will offer the new "Grill Master" ($19.99 to $44.99) and "Weekend Getaway" ($64.99 to $94.99) packages. Choose your favorite meat combo package to grill or pick up a meat and side dish package for quick meal planning.

Rooftop 866 is hosting an Independence Day cookout from noon until 5 p.m. It will be easy to heap your plate high from the $10 buffet full of classic cookout fare -- hotdogs, hamburgers, pasta salad, sides and plenty of desserts. The rooftop bar and lounge also is offering buy-one-get-one-free Boozy Pops ($3), $3 draft beer and cocktail specials. (866 West Peachtree Street, NW; 678-412-2402)

Spice Market decorates for the Fourth of July with a delightful trio of red, white and blue sorbets for $5. These are the real thing: sour cherry purée is the main ingredient in the sour cherry sorbet, lemon juice and lemon zest star in the lemon sorbet and blueberry purée powers up the blueberry sorbet. (In the W Atlanta-Midtown, 188 14th Street, NE; 404-724-2550)

Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food in Buckhead invites Peachtree Road Race contestants to bring their race bib into the restaurant on July 4 to receive $10 off their meal (race bib offer excludes gratuity; not valid on gift cards or merchandise; no cash value or cash back). (Buckhead location: 1860 Peachtree Road, NW; 404-350-6767)

A star-spangled cookout begins with burgers made from White Oak Pastures grass-fed ground beef. Talk about American heritage -- Will Harris and his fifth-generation family farm raise some of the finest sustainable, Certified Organic grass-fed beef in the country! Read more and place an order online or call 229-641-2081. Atlantans also can purchase White Oak Pastures products at the New York Butcher Shoppe. And while we're on the subject of burgers, why not top that delicious grass-fed patty with a thick slice of sweet Vidalia onion!

Woodfire Grill keeps Georgia on your mind over the Fourth of July weekend by serving the finest local and sustainable fare at its annual "BBQ & Beer" bash on Saturday, July 2. The three-course, all-American dinner will be served from 5:30 - 11 p.m. and costs $38 per person (plus tax and gratuity). The menu includes an appetizer course; an entrée course consisting of a BBQ plate made with Gillespie's Terminus City BBQ sauce, Brunswick stew and two traditional sides; and fruit cobbler for dessert. There will also be freshly baked cornbread and Southern-style white bread on every table. The bar will serve SweetWater draft specials all night long with proceeds from beer sales going to "Save the Hooch," a campaign started by Atlanta's SweetWater Brewing Company in 2005 to advocate and secure the protection and stewardship of the Chattahoochee River, its tributaries and watershed, in order to restore and preserve their ecological health for the people, fish and wildlife that depend on the river system. Limited seating means reservations are required; call 404-347-9055. (1782 Cheshire Bridge Road; 404-347-9055).

A Fiesta, Fajita Style!

Sunday's have always been one of my favorite nights of the week for dining out. It's a little quieter than other nights, it's an excellent way to end the weekend, and, let's be honest, who wants to deal with dishes on a Sunday?! For all these reasons and more, I am loving Uncle Julio's new Fajita Fiesta on Sunday nights.

Served family-style for a party of two or more peeps, you can celebrate Sundays with an order of chips and salsa served with your choice of guacamole or queso; a combo of mesquite-grilled chicken and beef fajitas served sizzling on a platter alongside fresh guacamole, pico de gallo, rice, frijoles a la charra and homemade flour tortillas; and (my fave) hand-made puffed sopapillas sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar and served warm with ice cream for dessert. The best part is that all of this is only $15.95 per person ($5.95 for kids 12 and under). I'm guessing I'll be seeing you there?

You Can Find Me On The Patio... It's Almost Spring!

Spring is finally here after a cold and wet winter.  Kiss cabin fever goodbye and take to these fabulous patios at our fair city's restaurants.  Use our GPS -- Great Patio Sensor -- to find your way!   

Upstairs or downstairs, Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food in Sandy Springs has a double dose of fresh air with upper- and lower-level patios overlooking Peachtree Dunwoody Road.  

The huge patio fronting Uncle Julio's in Buckhead sweeps a vista of Atlanta's longest landmark, Peachtree Road.  Add margaritas, chips and guac and paradise is found. 

See what's new in patios when Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in Perimeter Place Village opens their newly revamped patio this Sunday, March 20.  Fleming's is easy to get to, just off Ashford Dunwoody Road and across from the Dillard's end of Perimeter Mall.   

Aqua blue's patio is crisply set with white tablecloths and dashes of blue glassware.  A metal roof covers the expanse so guests can dine or drink outside even during spring showers.  What an ideal spot to dig into Aqua blue's Crabfest this spring!   

Atkins Park Tavern in Smyrna is another restaurant that's recently performed patio spring cleaning and renovations.  Settle in for a drink and some chow and be inspired to tackle your own spring tasks.  Ultra-efficient types, kick back and toast your innate efficiency.   

RA Sushi's spacious patio throws a curve, curling around the building's exterior and giving so many sidewalk views! Actually, the patio is on the sidewalk -- distinguished by a low railing, heaters, subdued lighting, umbrella-topped tables and RA Sushi's wild and crazy drinks and delectable sushi and sashimi rolls.   

Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse has patio expansion plans in the works.  Located in Buckhead's fashionable Phipps Plaza, this one's a must for people watching, shopping breaks and popping over after work.

And the winner is - Uncle Julio's!

You're going to need plenty of fuel to make it through the 83^rd Academy Awards Sunday night. So be a winner and let Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food supply you and your guests with the delicious dishes to see you through to the "Best Picture" announcement. Uncle Julio's convenient Party Packs To-Go menu can satisfy whatever size audience you have with a variety of options including the Plato Gordo Party Pack, Fajita Party Pack, Enchilada Party Pack and Taco Party Pack, all with frijoles a la charra, chips and salsa. Two other options include the Appetizer Party Pack and pork or chicken tamales. Call either Atlanta Uncle Julio's location to place your order then pick it up before the show.

Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food: In Buckhead at 1860 Peachtree Road, NW; 404-350-6767. To-go line: 404-974-2991. In Sandy Springs at 1140 Hammond Drive, NE, Building K, Suite 100; 678-736-8260. To-go line: 678-736-8261.

Don't Forget Tequila Day Tomorrow

Just in case your Hallmark calendar doesn't have it listed, we wanted to be sure you didn't forget that tomorrow is National Tequila Day. And it falls on a Saturday this year - score! So just in case you needed a reason to have a shot or a margarita, you are in luck. And, wouldn't you know it, we have a couple of suggestions for you to celebrate this auspicious occasion.

At The Original El Taco, the tequila portion of the drinks menu reads like a who's who of tequilas to be met straight up, face to face. "FroMos" and on-the-rocks margaritas befriend mixed drink lovers by the glass or pitcher and include a variety of tequilas and mixers. Welcome the Original, Palermo Texas, Key West, El Primo, Resales and El Big Boy margaritas to put some "Ole!" in your Virginia Highland visit.

Over in Buckhead and Sandy Springs, 15 types of tequilas and their margarita relatives are equally sociable at both Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food locations. The Swirl, twirling frozen margarita and frozen sangria, is the most popular of the more than 200,000 margaritas and tequila drinks served monthly at Uncle Julio's restaurants nationwide. Popular cousins include the classic frozen, strawberry and Chambord margaritas and the Baja Gold frozen margarita, which mixes Corona with frozen margarita. Uncle Julio's managers go through "tequila training" in Guadalajara, Mexico each fall to do justice to the magical elixir in drinks and recipes.

Feliz dia de la tequila, amigos!

Memorial Day Eats

Picnic rained out? Need to get away from house guests? Just looking for some good eats on Memorial Day? We've pulled a list of some of our favorites to save you the trouble of calling around. Have a wonderful holiday!

• Ray's in the City will be open for dinner from 5 - 9 p.m., serving fine American fare and some of the best meats and seafood in town. It's located downtown and could be a nice stop if you're going to one of the attractions or just stopping in on your way home from the airport.


• Marlow's Tavern, with six locations convenient to wherever you may be spending Memorial Day, will be open serving mouthwatering American Tavern fare in a comfortable neighborhood setting. Nothing says "work-free Monday" like Kettle Chips and a cold beer.


• If you're in the mood for some homemade pasta and a nice glass of Chianti, head over to La Tavola for a quality visit with Chef Craig Richards. Open regular hours.


• For a memorable margarita and some fish tacos, you'll need to get to The Original El Taco in the Highlands pronto. Open regular hours on Monday.


• Tired of hamburgers and hotdogs? Take a virtual trip to the Mediterranean and dine at Ecco. We recommend the goat cheese balls drizzled with honey. Open regular hours.


• Midtown residents will be happy to know that they can celebrate this special day nearby at RA Sushi. There are always great specials and you know you'll have fun.


• Pretend you're in Southeast Asia and spice up your holiday at Spice Market. Open all day.


• Looking for a casual and delicious finale to the weekend? Look no further than beloved tavern Atkins Park. Both locations (Smyrna and Virginia Highlands) are open.


• Start a new Memorial Day tradition of bocce, darts, and skee ball at Ormsby's. More fun than a picnic - and no ants!


• Tell the bartender that you'll have a Swirl and your 3-day weekend is complete at Uncle Julio's (Perimeter and Peachtree Road). Trust me on this one.
  
  

It's Time to Treat Mom

Mother’s Day is less than two weeks away, so it’s time to start making plans to celebrate these special women. We’ve got a list of mouthwatering meals and great gift options that every mom is sure to love. Get ahead of the game and make mom’s day!

Aqua blue starts mom's day in Roswell with a special 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. brunch buffet for $29.95 per person. Children under the age of 14 are $9.95, and children under four eat free. A buffet peek shows carved strip steak and turkey, roasted pork tenderloin, made-to-order omelets, assorted pastries and desserts and many more tempters. Treat mom to bottomless mimosas for $15 per person. If dinner out is her preference, come from 5:30 - 9 p.m. for Aqua blue's regular à la carte menu and seasonal features. Reservations are required; call 770-643-8886. (1564 Holcomb Bridge Road.)

Dine in Midtown at Ecco's Mother's Day brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and give mom a mini-Mediterranean holiday. Ecco's brunch menu includes a shareable selection of meats and cheeses and other taste and share items such as a chocolate croissant ($6), goat cheese and lemon croissant ($6) and fried goat cheese with black pepper ($7). Main dishes include a frittata with green garlic, escarole and pecorino ($12); house-made pork sausage with lentils and a poached egg ($12) and crepes with honeyed ricotta, strawberries and pistachios ($9). Crispy, woodfired pizzas ($13-$14) are another favorite. Round out the meal with sides of polenta, sautéed spinach, sautéed potatoes with chorizo ($5 each) and more. See the complete menu and make online reservations. (40 7th Street, NE; 404-347-9555)

Mother's Day "Supper" can only mean one thing -- JCT. Kitchen & Bar is putting on a fine Southern-inspired Sunday Supper for mom's big day from 5 - 9 p.m. Chef and Owner Ford Fry starts his Mother's Day $36 prix-fixe menu with a selection of warm biscuits, house-made jams, deviled eggs and Benton's country ham. After that comes a local "farm stand" salad and then on to the entrée decision . . . will it be slow-cooked rabbit with Vidalia onion, fontina-filled pasta and wilted local greens; pan-roasted dayboat fish; hickory-roasted Berkshire pork rack; cider-braised short rib "pot roast;" black skillet-fried chicken; or the vegetable plate piled with local vegetables, buttered potato dumplings and preserved tomatoes. A classic Georgia strawberry shortcake with local honey and lavender cream makes a sweet supper ending. (1198 Howell Mill Road; 404-355-2252)

Mama mia, La Tavola Trattoria in Virginia Highland loves moms! Their Mother's Day feast welcomes guests from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. with refreshing salads, bruschetta and an antipasti platter of meat and cheese ($5.95-$13.95); and entrées such as house-made challah French toast, chicken sausage, ricotta and lemon ravioli and a smoked salmon crostini ($7.95-$14.95). See the complete menu and make reservations online. (992 Virginia Avenue, NE; 404-873-5430)

Present mom with luxurious chocolates and

truffles from LW Chocolatier chocolate boutique. Select a package filled with a variety of LW's incredible riches of chocolates and truffles or handselect her preferences for a custom-made gift box. Make sure to sign up for their monthly newsletter to find out the latest specials and events! (One Buckhead Plaza at 3060 Peachtree Road, NW, Suite 40; 404-467-8503)

Four of the Marlow's Tavern locations around town will be offering brunch for $14.99 per person and $15 bottomless mimosas for adults on Mother's Day. Savory brunch specialties at Marlow's Tavern include crabcakes Benedict and made-to-order omelets. (Kennesaw at 745 Chastain Road, NW, 770-425-8777; Midtown at 950 West Peachtree Street, 404-815-0323; Vinings at 2355 Cumberland Parkway, 770-432-2526; Duluth at 1950 Satellite Boulevard, 770-622-2033.)

Morton's The Steakhouse honors mothers with a special $59 menu. The prix-fixe menu includes a choice of Morton's salad or Caesar salad; single-cut filet mignon with béarnaise sauce, Filet Oskar, broiled salmon fillet with beurre blanc sauce, Colossal Shrimp Alexander with beurre blanc sauceor Chicken Christopher with garlic beurre blanc sauce; one vegetable or potato side dish; and crème brûlée or double chocolate mousse for dessert. Each mom dining at Morton's Buckhead on Mother's Day will receive a mini-spa package of a 30-minute massage, mini-facial, and a shampoo, blow out and style at the newly-opened William David Salon in the Terminus Building. Both locations are open from 3 - 9 p.m. on Mother's Day. (Morton's The Steakhouse - Buckhead: Peachtree Lenox Building, 3379 Peachtree Road, NE; 404-816-6535. Morton's The Steakhouse - Downtown: SunTrust Plaza Building, 303 Peachtree Center Avenue; 404-577-4366)

Elegant Pacci Ristorante pays tribute to moms with an abundant brunch buffet laden with flavorful dishes by Executive Chef Keira Moritz, including deviled eggs, crab fondue, cheese grits, pesto squash casserole and an assortment of pastries. The Mother's Day brunch buffet is available from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. and is priced at $22 for adults, $12 for kids ages six to 12 and no charge for children under six. (866 West Peachtree Street, NW; 678-412-2402)

Let Mom choose brunch or dinner riverside, downtown or in the 'burbs at Ray's Restaurants on Mother's Day. From 9 a.m. - 8 p.m., Ray's on the River is offering a Mother's Day brunch buffet priced at $35 for adults and $17 for children ages five to 10. From 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., both Ray's Killer Creek and Ray's in the City are offering a brunch priced at $29.95 for adults and $12.95 for children ages five to 10. Both locations also are offering the regular dinner menu from 5 - 8 p.m. (Ray's on the River: 6700 Powers Ferry Road; 770-955-1187. Ray's Killer Creek: 1700 Mansell Road, Alpharetta; 770-649-0064. Ray's in the City: 240 Peachtree Street, NW; 404-524-9224)

Shaun's, in historic Inman Park, is offering a Mother's Day brunch spread that will make mom swoon. Served from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., Executive Chef Shaun Doty's brunch menu boasts breakfast fare including cage-free organic eggs, applewood smoked bacon, homemade sausages, cheddar waffles with Steen's cane syrup, Anson Mill speckled grits, eggs Benedict and a selection of artisan breads and biscuits. Other items include Southern-style fried chicken, braised local collard greens, cedar-planked salmon, marinated pork loin, a selection of farmhouse cheeses and assorted desserts. Price is $40 per person; $10 for children 10 and under. Reservations can be made online. (1029 Edgewood Avenue, NE; 404-577-4358)

Treat your modern-day Southern belle to the regional flavor of Mother's Day brunch at South City Kitchen Midtown or South City Kitchen Vinings. Bask in Southern hospitality while dining on first flavors such as chocolate muffins, fried green tomatoes and sautéed chicken livers; brunch specialties like a country frittata, peach "French toast" pudding, Southern-style eggs Benedict and crab hash; and regular menu favorites including their famous buttermilk fried chicken and pan-fried mountain trout. See the South City Kitchen Midtown menu and make online reservations. 1144 Crescent Avenue; 404-873-7358. View the South City Kitchen Vinings menu and make online reservations. 1675 Cumberland Parkway; 770-435-0700.

Mom has her own Mother's Day dish at Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food! The Plato de Madre ($29.95) fills her plate with cold water lobster tail, chicken and beef fajitas, guacamole, pico de gallo, Mexican rice and frijoles a la charra. So delish, everyone else may want to order their own "plato." The special dish will only be available from May 3 - 16. (Buckhead: 1860 Peachtree Road, NW; 404-350-6767. Sandy Springs: 1140 Hammond Drive, NE, Building K, Suite 100; 678-736-8260).

For a meaningful Mother's Day celebration, take mom to Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery. The North Georgia winery offers a memorable meal with breathtaking views. Since both Mother's Day brunch seatings are already sold out, surprise mom early with a lovely lunch at the winery's Vineyard Café. The café is open Thursday through Saturday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. Advance reservations are required for all food service events and can be made by calling 706-867-9862. Wolf Mountain Vineyards is located at 180 Wolf Mountain Trail in Dahlonega, Georgia, 706-867-9862.

Lastly, if you want to get mom a gift she'll use for years, the Atlanta Cooks at Home cookbook is a great Mother's Day option. Whether your mom is an Atlanta native or an at-home cook who is eager to learn the culinary ways of the South, this book gives readers cool recipes and insight for different occasions as well as personal interviews from the city's top chefs.