Woodfire Grill Appreciates the Pinot: Wine Tasting June 21

The Woodfire Grill wine cellar is a perfectly cool reprieve from the harsh Atlanta summer heat. With a temperature set between 45° F and 65° F, it also happens to be the ideal environment for storing wine according to Wine Spectator . This Thursday marks the next wine tasting where eight different Pinot Noir wines have been carefully selected by Sommelier Cate Hatch. Together, Hatch and Woodfire Grill Co-Owner and Wine Director Nicolas Quinones have planned this month’s third Thursday tasting around Burgundy Pinot Noir, the standard to which all other Pinot Noir is compared. Guests will discover flavors from rich Grand Crus to the lighter Bourgogne Rouge. While the tasting takes place concurrently with dinner, it is not considered a pairing so guests may order as they please. The cost is $15 per person and the event is limited to 30 guests. Reservations are required; call 404-347-9055 and specifically mention the wine tasting. Looking ahead, summer whites of Vouvray, Muscadet and Sancerre will be offered at the next tasting on July 19. 

Start Your Summer With Atlanta's Best Culinary Events In The Dish

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Surf into The Optimist tomorrow for the ACFB's Supper Club

Photo Credit: Andrew Thomas Lee

Chefs Ford Fry & Adam Evans will host this month’s Supper Club fundraiser for the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB) at The Optimist and Oyster Bar at The Optimist, tomorrow, June 19 from 5 - 10 p.m. Twenty percent of each diner’s tab will go to Atlanta’s Table, the ACFB’s prepared food rescue project. “The Hamptons meets the South” when fresh-caught and wood-fired fruits of the sea pal around with seasonal farm-to-table fare at this sustainable seafood restaurant on Atlanta’s trendy Westside. Catch a glimpse of The Optimist's menu to see what you'll be reeling in for dinner. Reservations strongly suggested; call 404-477-6260.

Start Summer Day One with Lambrusco Fun at No. 246

The first day of summer falls on Lambrusco Day 2012, and now there are two reasons to celebrate at No. 246 in Decatur. If you think Lambrusco is a soda pop wine, you are stuck in the ‘70s and ‘80s. True Lambrusco is a “secco” – a dry, sparkling, estate-bottled red wine from the Emilia Romagna region of Italy. There are multiple ways to discover authentic Lambrusco at No. 246 on Wednesday, June 20. Enjoy Lambrusco cocktails created by Lara Creasy and Alan Gary of No. 246, Greg Best of Holeman & Finch Public House, Lindy Colburn of Quality Wine & Spirits and Paul Calvert of Pura Vida. No. 246 Executive Chef Drew Belline’s special menu features Parmigiano-Reggiano, balsamic vinegar di Modena and prosciutto di Parma, ingredients from Lambrusco’s home region. Taste four different Lambrusco wines paired with bites from Belline when Master Sommelier Michael McNeill from Quality Wine & Spirits leads a tasting from 5 - 7 p.m. The tasting is $15 per person; guests staying for dinner receive a $15 credit with the purchase of any bottle of Lambrusco. The party bubbles over to the courtyard from 7 - 9 p.m. for live music by bluegrass band Christ, Lord. Okay, so maybe that’s not Italian, but after Lambrusco cocktails, who’s telling?

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.  

Our Appetizing Aperture of the Week: Scallop Crudo at Lure

Sit tight and salivate over this highly photogenic and mega-flavorful scallop crudo. Net the real thing when Fifth Group Restaurants opens Lure on Crescent Avenue in Midtown on Tuesday, July 17. The seafood-centric sweet spot will serve simple, high-quality seafood in a unique and fun atmosphere. Lure? Count us hooked!

It's Follow Friday; Meet Our Tweep of the Week @mbuffardi

Music is not her forte, but Food Network Editor Michelle Buffardi is right in tune with the foodie circuit of yummy shop-spots, recipes, cocktails, food conferences and way more. Park yourself in a lounge chair with a tall tumbler of iced coffee or tea and your internet cruiser of choice to check out Buffardi's tweets (@mbuffardi) or the mothership of food links on FoodNework.com.

What's New On Pinterest: Ways to Show Your Pops He's Tops

We're appointing dad as Chairman of the Board -- our Pinterest board. This week, we're pinning ways to dote on dad. 

Market Street Café Fills New Thursday Happy Hour Menu With Mediterranean Small Plates

Turn the corner on the work week by capping Thursdays with happy hours starting at 4 p.m. on the patio at Market Street Café in Buckhead's Prominence Building. The new Mediterranean-inspired small plate menu is well suited to Atlanta's hot afternoons and warm evenings. 


Bruschetta selections change weekly. Antipasto brings an assortment of serrano ham, mortadella, chorizo, marinated olives and manchego cheese with herbed flatbread chips. More options include fried calamari, garlic prawns, albondigas (Spanish meatballs in a spicy tomato stew served with toasted baguettes), stuffed piquillo peppers filled with grilled summer veggies and goat cheese, bacon-wrapped dates and spanikopita. 


Prices range from $5-$12, so go ahead and bring a group and try them all. You know you want to!

RA Sushi Rolls Out New Menu Options and Celebrates International Sushi Day

Monday, June 18 marks the start of the new mouthwatering menu selections at RA Sushi Bar Restaurant in Midtown. Executive Chef Tai Obata is adding clam udon, sake-steamed clams served over udon noodles in a sake cream broth ($13.25) and edamame and spinach dip served warm with wonton chips ($5.25). Five new plates have been added especially for sharing ($9.25-$12.75). Holy Shishito Chicken is Asian-breaded chicken lightly fried and sautéed in a chili-sesame sauce, tossed with fried shishito peppers, onions, and green and red peppers. Drunken Clams ($12.75) and Drunken Black Mussels ($9.25) are steamed in sake and sautéed in garlic and seasoned soy sauce. Bonfire Shrimp pack heat, tossed in a chili sauce with fried shishito peppers ($11.75) while grilled salmon with garlicky green beans provides a lighter option, drizzled with spicy yuzu sauce. Always popular Asian chicken wings ($7.25) now come in three flavor options: sesame garlic, black pepper teriyaki and chili ponzu. New crispy Asian tacos come in five different flavors including spicy tuna, steamed chicken with Asian veggies, spicy salmon, "RA"ckin' shrimp and crispy white fish ($7.50-$9.25).

RA Sushi is also serving up five new drinks ($8-$9). Strawberry purée comes together with Svedka Citron and Nigori sake in the Strawberry Saketini, and the Coconut Moshi Mojito muddles Cruzan Estate Light Rum with summer's fresh lime, fresh mint and coconut flavors. Waist watchers can sip three new skinny cocktails: the Cucumber Collins, Kiwi-berry Kiss and Lycheetini.

International Sushi Day was designated as June 18 in 2009 and was officially entered into Chase's Calendar of Events in 2010. Sushi lovers mark the day by eating more sushi. Anyone who "likes" RA Sushi on Facebook that day can print a special offer good for one complimentary Tootsy Maki between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. on June 18. Get those chopsticks ready!

Salute the "Red, White & Brew" Menu at Marlow's Tavern

  

Marlow's Tavern is heralding the return of summer by offering its popular "Red, White & Brew" menu through July 23. All eight locations of the neighborhood tavern are serving up dishes and filling glasses with beverages that conjure up memories of summers spent grilling in the backyard. Start things off with a light beer and cheese soup, Firecracker deviled eggs or a watermelon, feta and arugula salad ($3-$9). Patriotic proteins include the Red, White and Bleu burger decorated with red pepper, Vidalia onion and Maytag blue cheese and served with American fries; Backyard blackened swordfish with Red, White and Blue potato salad; honey-glazed grilled chicken with chili-slathered corn-on-the-cob; and grilled skirt steak "hot-off-the-grill" with summer squash and jumbo Vidalia onion rings ($11-$18). Banana cream pie in a glass with house-made bourbon caramel is an all-star ending ($6). The "Brew" menu plays it cool with a "Summertime" watermelon margarita or Tommy's Favorite Sangria ($8) or a "red" Rogue American Ale, "white" Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy or "blue" Sweetwater Blue ($5-$5.50).

If you fancy yourself handy with the tongs, consider entering the third annual Marlow's Tavern Grilling Recipe Contest running concurrently with the "Red, White and Brew" menu through July 23. Enter your favorite recipe online or at one of the tavern locations. Executive Chef John C. Metz will review all entries and announce a winner in August. First prize wins a Big Green Egg. Second prize wins a $50 Marlow's Tavern gift card and third prize is a Marlow's Tavern "Red, White and Brew" limited-edition t-shirt. 

Heads up! Ticket prices increase for Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival on June 15

Purchase your tickets for the July 22 Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival, $50 for Georgia Organics members and $60 for non-members, before the price rises to $70 for all on June 15. JCT. Kitchen & Bar hosts this annual "war" between the chefs as they partner with local farmers to put their best tomato dishes forward. Mixologists will also be competing with signature cocktails. This year, Garden & Gun Deputy Editor Dave Mezz, Esquire restaurant features writer John Mariani and actor David Miller, who played Mason Dixon in the original "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" movie, will serve as judges. Don’t miss out on this killer event—get your tickets now!  

No Fowl Play Here! It's Pastured Poultry Week in Georgia

The omnivore chicken's dilemma:  seed, bug, plant or all of the above? A chicken feed diet nixes such decisions for factory farmed birds. While pastured poultry commute across pasture land each day, factory farms allot each bird about as much space as a sheet of notebook paper. Georgians for Pastured Poultry (GPP) is crying "fowl" and taking action! It's Pastured Poultry Week -- an opportune week to feather your cap with pastured poultry facts gathered by GPP and taste the difference in dishes featuring pastured poultry at Ecco, JCT. Kitchen & Bar, No. 246, Woodfire Grill and others. The sustainable method of raising poultry yields better tasting birds, and Atlanta chefs are leading farmers market demos this summer to show you how to use the whole bird. At this Saturday's Morningside Farmers Market, Shaun Doty will be sure shoppers learn where and how their chickens were raised. Take notes as he passes on kitchen tips he'll use at his own soon-to-open Bantam & Biddy restaurant where free-range and pastured poultry will rule the roost. White Oak Pastures, already a leader in the pastured poultry profession, is providing most of the chickens for restaurants and summer farmers market demos; purchase your own bird at Atlanta-area Whole Foods Markets. As Chef Doty explains, these birds have a slower growth period than factory farm-raised chickens (12 weeks versus six weeks), which leads to richer flavor and a higher cost. Doty feels each bite is worth it, and he's posted a YouTube video (above) showing how to roast them, make chicken stock and an easy chicken miso soup so you'll savor every morsel.

Start Crowing For #PasturedPoultryWeek - And Lots More - In This Week's Dish

It's a beautiful morning in Atlanta and boy, do we have your culinary scoop this week in The Dish! Spread a little deliciousness into your life every Tuesday in your inbox; you can sign up either here on our blog or on our Facebook page. Thanks for reading!

Atlanta’s Rising Stars Shine At StarChefs.com Rising Stars Revue

This Wednesday, June 13, you can acquaint yourself with Atlanta’s culinary up-and-comers by attending the 38thStarChefs.com Rising Stars Revue. The tasting gala and awards ceremony will be from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. at The Goat Farm Arts Center. Chef Chad Clevenger of Alma Cocina will be one of the event host chefs. For the tasting you will be able to enjoy wood-fired Virginia clams with crispy pork belly and croutons prepared by Rising star recipient Adam Evans of JCT Kitchen & Bar and now of The Optimist. Two other culinary up-and-comers, Woodfire Grill Pastry Chef Chrysta Poulus and Taria Camerino, owner of Sugar-Coated Radical and Pastry Chef at The Optimist, will be honored as Rising Stars. In addition to the tasting and awards, guests will be able to enjoy the work of acclaimed local artist David Baerwalde. Tickets are $85 each but when you purchase your tickets online and use the discount code RSATL12 at checkout, you will shave $10 off that ticket price. StarChefs.com is “the magazine for industry insiders” covering chefs, recipes, jobs and more.

Feeling Porky? Follow Chef Kevin Gillespie to H. Harper Station for Head-to-Tail Dinner on Wednesday

H. Harper Station has invited Woodfire Grill Executive Chef Kevin Gillespie to create a menu using the most pig parts as possible for the first of three special Head-to-Tail Dinners at the Reynoldstown restaurant. Chef Gillespie's collaboration with H. Harper Station's Chef Joseph Ward will take place this Wednesday, June 13 at 7 p.m. and is sure to satisfy guests who are pining for pork. If you haven't already seen Gillespie's wild boar tattoo - an homage to growing up in the South on his left arm - we can assure you that it speaks volumes about his commitment to farm-to-table eating. A portion of this dinner's proceeds will be donated to Wholesome Wave Georgia to increase access to fresh, healthy, locally grown food at producer-only farmers markets in Georgia. Cost is $100 per person and includes the meal paired with wines chosen by H. Harper Station Owner and Mixologist Jerry Slater. For reservations, call 678-732-0415.

Show Pops He's Tops with These Father's Day Ideas

   

Food and beverages are the way to go for the king of everything on Father's Day, June 17. There are numerous advantages to treating dad to a special meal out or gourmet food and drink items to enjoy with his pals. Family time for starters, everyone gets to try something new, and you won't see that tie or tool in the donation or re-gifting box.

Gourmet-on-the-go dads have places to go and want epicurean foods to eat. Alon's Bakery and Market is a superhero in this department with decadent desserts, artisan breads, chocolates and lots more fit-for-a-king food and beverage items. Locations in Virginia Highland and Dunwoody.

Spirited dads who already have the golf clubs and tennis accessories will appreciate receiving a gift they can enjoy after the action - a cool summer cocktail made from your gift of American Spirit Whiskey (ASW), available to purchase at area package stores. Start his mixology ideas flowing with recipes from the ASW website.

Sleep in or church first? Afterward, head to Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar for a special three-course Father's Day brunch offered from 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. $34.95 per adult and $16.95 for children ages 12 and under (plus tax and gratuity). Besides covering taste bud bases from filet mignon to New Orleans-style French toast, guests can celebrate with Blood Orange Fizz cocktails for $6.95 each. Dads receive a $25 gift card for marking the day at Fleming's. Make reservations by calling 770-698-8112.

Calling all grill daddies and Big Green Egg aficionados. Marlow's Tavern locations are ready to thrill with grilled skirt steak and backyard blackened swordfish - all offerings on the hit "Red, White and Brew" menu available Tuesday, June 12 through Monday, July 23 at all eight Marlow's Tavern locations. Dad prefers his eggs big, green and smoking hot?  Suggest he enter the third annual Marlow's Tavern Grilling Recipe Contest, same dates. He could win a Big Green Egg and get his recipe on the menu! Stay tuned for more details on Facebook.

Burger-meisters will relish lunch or dinner at Smashburger, where they can create their own burger or choose the wedge club burger, Atlanta burger or another juicy specialty beef burger or chicken sandwich. Thick, handspun Häagen-Dazs milkshakes might lead to a new mustache look for dad. With five Atlanta-area locations, there's a Smashburger near you.

Grill-it-yourselfers will salivate in anticipation when receiving grass-fed beef, lamb or free-range poultry from White Oak Pastures. It's okay. Let dad show off his grill-stripe patterns and save with the White Oak Pastures Father's Day sale running June 8-12. Sale prices include ribeyes for $10.09/pound, New York strips for $8.49/pound, filets for $10.89/pound, ground chicken for $4.99/pound and duck for $12/pound. Place an order online or call 229-641-2081. 

It's Follow Friday; Meet Our Tweep of the Week @Splendid Table

This week's tweep proves one can host a cooking show on the radio and garnish it with Twitter and a website/blog. American Public Media proves it with "The Splendid Table," the show for people who love to eat, hosted by Lynne Rossetto Kasper. Find "The Splendid Table" on Twitter (@Splendid Table) or online. To cook while driving, find your radio station and tune in. WABE 90.1 FM in Atlanta plays the show Saturdays at noon.

Doughnuts and Donations for Krispy Kreme Cops on Shops

From 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 9, Law Enforcement Torch Run deputies will be perched on the roof of the Krispy Kreme Doughnuts store at 6761 Veterans Parkway in Columbus. These heroes have been sitting on top of Krispy Kreme Doughnut shops to raise money for Special Olympics athletes in Georgia for a dozen years now, so stop by and help donate. A $5 donation receives a thank you treat from Krispy Kreme. Donate $1,000 or more, and Krispy Kreme throws a complimentary doughnut party for you. Customers will enjoy fun activities on the ground level such as a space walk (courtesy of Clownin' Around Amusement Rentals) and "Dunk a Deputy" for a $2 donation. Cool off with a treat from The Ice Cream Girl & Co. and 20 percent goes to the fundraiser. Don’t forget about all of the yummy doughnut choices, iced drinks and Krispy Kreme Chillers inside.

Appetizing Aperture: Mixologist Lara Creasy's Farmer Tom's Collins Cocktail at JCT. Kitchen & Bar

Shop for your cocktail glass as well as for your plate at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market. At 10 a.m. this Saturday, June 9, JCT. Kitchen & Bar Mixologist Lara Creasy demos how to concoct garden-fresh libations. Bet you want to reach into the screen and pluck out her Farmer Tom's Collins cocktail, a refreshing mix of Farmer's Organic Gin, lemon, herbsaint, fresh herbs and soda.

Eat Some Pastured Poultry, Y'all

If you haven't given much thought to the chicken you eat, next week is a good time to remedy that. Pastured Poultry Week starts Monday, June 11 and goes through Sunday, June 17. It's set up by Georgians for Pastured Poultry(GPP), an alliance that promotes the use of high-welfare, pasture-raised poultry in Georgia. Over 20 Atlanta restaurants, including Ecco, JCT. Kitchen & Bar, No. 246 and Woodfire Grill, will feature the superior tasting and healthier birds each day so that you can taste the difference. If you'd like to cook some pastured poultry at home, buy some at your local farmers market or Whole Foods  and then check out this video where Shaun Doty shows you how it's a little different from the chickens we typically buy in the store. Or come see Shaun in person at Morningside Farmers Market on Saturday, June 16 where he'll be doing a demonstration and talking about his new local free-range and pastured poultry restaurant, Bantam and Biddy, which opens in September. We get our pastured chickens from Will Harris at  White Oak Pastures, another stakeholder in the group whose mission is to make Georgia the leader in the production and consumption of pastured poultry. Learn more about  pastured poultry facts and information by visiting the Georgians for Pastured Poultry website.

Jazz up Your Saturday at Ray's on the River

Ray's on the River's Summer Concert Series is taking the stage again this Saturday, June 9 at 2 p.m., and you won't want to miss out on this melodious afternoon at Atlanta's beloved riverside restaurant. Ray's on the River will carve out an area for guests to sit back and soak up jazz and blues by Jon Liebman, Scott Glazer, Joe Alterman and friends. If you come early, you can enjoy 20 percent off lunch at the restaurant with your ticket; otherwise, food and drink concessions will be sold at the concert. Concert tickets are $35 in advance and $45 at the door with proceeds benefitting the Fragile Kids Foundation, a non-profit organization that assists families in need of aid to effectively care for their medically fragile children. This family friendly event is one of a three-part series of Ray's on the River concerts benefiting local charities. After this Saturday, you'll have to wait until July 21 to sit back and enjoy renowned trumpeter Joey Sommerville at a concert that will assist the clean water efforts led by the Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. Click here to purchase tickets via Eventbrite, and see you out on the lawn!

A Heaping Helping of Father's Day Ideas - Plus Lots More - In The Dish

Father's Day is right around the corner, and we've got the scoop on how to treat dear old dad - plus lots more - in this week's 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.

Which Came First: The Chicken? Or the Eggs Benedict?

According to The Kitchen Project, there seems to be some discrepancy in the which-came-first department of eggs Benedict recipe origins. While it appears to have had its inception up north, we're partial to the southern version -- Georgia Eggs Benedict -- poached up by Chicken and the Egg. Southern farmstead fare, such as this or fried green tomato eggs Benedict, is an integral part of each day at the Marietta eatery. Seeing that June 4 is National Eggs Benedict Day, you might be up for trying your hand at making this dish over the weekend. Chicken and the Egg Chef and Owner Marc Taft gave us the thumbs up on sharing his recipe, so don't think we're being Benedict Arnolds. For trivia's sake, the Revolutionary War traitor was neither initiator nor namesake of the traditional or Georgia versions.

Sit down to weekend brunch at Chicken and the Egg on Saturdays from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. and Sunday from 9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. Additionally, the restaurant serves weekday lunch and dinner nightly.

Chicken and the Egg's Georgia Eggs Benedict 

2 Biscuits (Make your own or use your favorite store-bought brand)

4 Slices of country ham (may also use Canadian bacon or bacon strips)

4 Eggs

1 Container of pimento cheese (of course you can make your own)

Heavy cream

Chives or green onions for garnish

1. In a saucepan on the side burner of your grill or on your cook top, slowly melt pimento cheese over medium-low heat. When it starts melting, slowly add a little heavy cream while stirring constantly until the mixture is smooth. Keep this mixture over low heat until ready to use.
2. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. Break each egg into one of the muffin slots and set on the grill over medium-high heat.
3. While the eggs are cooking, place your country ham on the grill to heat.
4. Cut biscuits in half. On each half, place one of the slices of country ham.
5. Place one of the cooked eggs on top of each slice of country ham and spoon pimento cheese mixture over the top.
6. Place trimmed chive or green onion on top for a garnish.

Appetizing Aperture of the Week: Cantaloupe Gazpacho with Lump Crabmeat from Alma Cocina

If the photo is as fresh and delish as this, can you imagine how exquisite the real deal tastes? You can just about taste this cantaloupe gazpacho with lump crabmeat that won first place for Alma Cocina at the recent Taste of the Highlands food fest in Virginia Highland. No pictures for second-place winner Ecco or dessert winner Alon's Bakery and Market. Better head over and snap a photo or two before you chew.

It's Follow Friday; Meet Our Tweep Of The Week @thesouthernc #ff

What's hot in the South besides the asphalt? All modern-paved and Old South dirt roads lead to The SouthernC (@the southernc), where a community of friends share a similar interest -- the South. If you live below the Mason-Dixon Line, say "yes" and nod as you read along. Displaced up north or pining to move south, visit The Southern Coterie blog and let the South come to you. Plenty to pin here.

Warm Weather means Mouthwatering Pairing at RA Sushi

Summer flavors unite between the watermelon and kiwi cocktail and entrée pairing at RA Sushi Bar Restaurant in Midtown. Explore these flavors with the Watermelon Kiwi Shrimp and the Melon-Kiwi-Tini cocktail. Watermelon, kiwi, orange slices, lychee and shrimp come together for the light and healthy Watermelon Kiwi Shrimp entrée. Pair this dish with the Melon-Kiwi-Tini, featuring muddled flavors of Monin Watermelon, Svedka Citron and shochu with soda fizz and watermelon and kiwi garnish, and you've got a colorfully refreshing meal for just $18. Enjoy the summer pairing between June 1-30 at RA sushi, which is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. with a late-night menu available until midnight (the bar is open even later).

Celebrate National Doughnut Day with Krispy Kreme

This Friday, June 1st, let Krispy Kreme Doughnuts in Columbus, Ga. treat you to a free doughnut of your choice. Whether it's Original Glazed®, sprinkled with sugar or iced, enjoy this well-rounded treat in honor of National Doughnut Day. The Salvation Army initiated the annual occasion in 1948 to raise funds for those in need during the Great Depression, and it remains something to look forward to on the first Friday of each June. Share your doughy delight via Twitter (@KrispyKreme #DoughnutDay), but make sure to lick your fingers clean first. The Columbus Krispy Kreme Doughnuts shop is located at 6761 Veterans Parkway, 706-320-2124. 

Chefs Shop, Chop, Vie For Iron Chef Title At Friday Night Peachtree Road Farmers Market

Atlanta’s largest producer-only market will be open this Friday night from 4-8 p.m. for a special Iron Chef competition. The fresh-from-the-field action will be going down between Chefs Justin Balmes and Patric Bell, along with four other popular Atlanta chefs. The chefs will each be given $45 to buy ingredients. Before the clock strikes 6 p.m. they must turn those ingredients into farm-fresh plates for 100 lucky ticket holders. The ticket holders will be the judges by sampling the plates and choosing a winner. Tickets are $5 and go on sale at 4 p.m.

Not only will there be hot competition among some of the hottest chef’s in Atlanta, the usual 70-plus vendors selling fruits, veggies and handmade goodies will be there, plus live bluegrass by The Farmland Trio and dinner options from a fleet of food trucks.

If you show up Saturday morning you’ll miss out on all the fun! Plus the vender’s will be sleeping in after a big Friday night in the city. Repeat, no market on Saturday. So come spend your Friday happy hour at the Peachtree Road Farmer’s Market and you too can sleep in on Saturday morning.

Summer Fun Begins Early At Atkins Park Tavern in Virginia Highland with Pong Wars & Summerfest

Short work weeks are something to celebrate, so make plans to do just that at Atkins Park Tavern in Virginia Highland this week with a spirited paddle battle! The restaurant is setting Pong Wars in motion starting on Wednesday, May 30 with single elimination rounds starting up at 10:30 p.m. Sam Adams sponsors the fast-paced event that leads to a Sam Adams tailgate grill and awesome cooler (each valued at $150) for first- and second-place winners. Be there early to get a seat and get in the lineup!

Also coming up in the neighborhood and celebrating 29 years of art, food and fun, Virginia Highland Summerfest 2012 will be taking over on June 2-3.  Visitors can shop for original art at the artist market, enjoy great food, run the 5K and listen to live music presented by 92.9 dave-fm. There’s also a KidsFest area in John Howell Park to keep the little ones entertained. Look for the Atkins Park Tavern food tent while you’re there. At this year’s festival, we remember our friend Warren Bruno, owner of Atkins Park and Ormsby’s, who passed away earlier this month. Warren was one of the original organizers of this popular summertime festival.

Wake Up and Taste the Samples: Jittery Joe's Demos at Alon's

Perk up your midweek morning with a few jolts of Jittery Joe's java at a Wednesday morning coffee tasting on May 30, courtesy of Alon's Bakery and Market in Virginia Highland. Jittery Joe's will start roasting and pouring it on strong at 10 a.m. Sip several types and pick out a few to fit your a.m. and p.m. coffee moods then purchase some small cans to take with you. According to research, coffee is the number-one source of antioxidants in the American diet. Put that in your cup and drink it. You know what they say, the mo' Joe the merrier!

Pour the best brew with Alon's Bakery And Market and Jittery Joe's - And More - In This Week's Dish

A long Memorial Day weekend comes to a close here in Atlanta -- it's time to pour a strong cup of coffee and catch up on the latest culinary news from around town 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.

Memorial Day at Atkins Park

It's too hot to cook. Head to Atkins Park in the Highlands on Memorial Day where they will be firing up the Big Green Egg. Enjoy Slow Smoked BBQ Brisket served with creamy slaw and Vidalia onion rings ($15), or have some yummy St. Louis Spare Ribs topped with fresh GA peach BBQ sauce served with fries and corn on the cob (half rack $15/full rack $21). And you gotta wet your whistle, right? Pair both these Memorial Day smokers with New Belgium Somersault Ale: Citrus aroma, soft apricot fruitiness and a hint of ginger (pint $5.50). What a delicious way to end the 3-day weekend!