RA Sushi and a Show: The Green Market at Piedmont Park July 7 Chef Demo

Saturdays at Piedmont Park mean shopping at The Green Market, which boasts fresh and local ingredients from spring to fall. Thank goodness there are pro chefs at the market to show us how to integrate these ingredients into farm-fresh dishes. This Saturday morning, shoppers can count on RA Sushi chefs to be at the demo booth from 11 a.m. until noon. So, take a stroll and a roll all while gathering fresh produce and prep ideas. See you there!

It's Prime Time for Sunday Dinner at Fleming's

We think it's about time to bring back the Sunday dinner tradition, and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in Dunwoody is making it easy and affordable to get together with family and friends over a hearty meal. The restaurant is offering "Summer Sundays" - a three-course prime rib dinner for only $29.95 per person (excluding tax and gratuity) - ever Sunday through Labor Day weekend. Sit in the dining room to beat the heat or get some fresh air on the covered patio while you relax and chat over your choice of salad, 12 ounces of succulent prime rib with a side dish and any of the seven house-made dessert selections your sweet tooth desires. Although this dinner menu is available year round, the $29.95 price tag is special for summer. Need a wine pairing (often a necessity when dining with family)? Fleming's recommends that guests add B. R. Cohn North Coast Silver Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2008/2009 for the highly quaffable price of $40 per bottle.

Where to Feast on the Fourth

Do you think our founding fathers would run the Peachtree Road Race to mark the signing of the Declaration of Independence? It might be a bit hot in the jackets, hosiery and wigs of their day. We're pretty sure that they would be up for a friendly meal and a libation or two in air-conditioned comfort to mark the historic event. Put them here and now, and we can show them who's open and serving in their honor with a click on our blog.

Market Street Café Puts the Sizzle in Summer with a New Special Each Week

The weather isn't the only thing heating up this summer. Market Street Café is introducing their red-hot Summer Sizzle promotion, with a new special each week. First up are Market Street Café's flavorful, hand-made salmon burgers. Next week, light and delicious protabella burgers hit the grill. Week three features their Really, Really Delicious Burger. Beat the lunch rush and save 20 percent off purchases made between 11-11:30 a.m. (you must be through the register prior to 11:30 a.m.)

We Salute The "Red, White & Brew" - And More - In This Week's Dish

Ready for July 4? We are! Find out what's happening around town to make your plans - it's all in this week's Dish! If you aren't already receiving The Dish, you can sign up either here on our blog or on our Facebook page. Thanks for reading!

Marlow’s Tavern Has Free Burgers For Insiders On The Fourth Plus A “Red, White & Brew + You” Sweepstakes Everyone Can Enter

Have you signed up to be a Marlow’s Tavern Insider? Not only are they privy to insight on upcoming events and specials, but they also catch some pretty Marlow-velous deals. For instance, on the Fourth of July, Marlow’s Insiders will receive a free burger with a minimum purchase of $15. Sign up now on Facebook and get ready to sink your teeth into a really juicy July 4^th fired up with “Red, White & Brew.”

While you’re on Marlow’s Tavern’s Facebook page, be sure to sign up for the “Red, White & Brew + You” sweepstakes. You could win dinner for you and five friends at Marlow’s Tavern during the “Red, White & Brew” menu celebration! Last day to enter is July 15.

What's New On Pinterest: Frozen, Chosen Popsicles

Zoku Quick Pop Maker at The Cook's Warehouse Summer's hot. Popsicles are not. Check out our Pinterest board for ideas to beat the heat.

Weekend Wallet Saver: Time to Whip Out Your Dinner & A Cause Card

It's Friday afternoon and the options for weekend entertainment are endless...when you're using your Dinner & A Cause Card from Children of Conservation. Cardholders can savor 20 percent savings on their dinner tabs at some of Atlanta's top restaurants in July and August, starting this Saturday. The list of participating restaurants is long and includes Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub in Brookhaven, No. 246 in Decatur, JCT. Kitchen & Bar on Atlanta's Westside and Chicken and the Egg in Marietta. Most importantly, your card purchase helps provide an education for children of wildlife sanctuary workers in Africa. If you're not already packing one of these cards in your purse or money carrier of choice, go online to purchase; $25 for July 1-31, $25 for August 1-31 or $45 when buying both months at the same time. Use it as many times as you wish during the permitted timeframe.

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

Darin and family reside in downtown Atlanta. The urban steward walks, scooters and takes Marta around town, which lends itself to many in-town epiphanies and some nice leg muscles. Locate Darin onTwitter (@ATLurbanist) -- no tweeting while scootering -- or open up his blog and peruse after you've hoofed it to your local Wi-Fi café.

MLA On The Town

Here we are, cutting up with the stars. Erica, Mandy, Suong and Tuan saw what Atlanta's culinary Rising Stars can do at the recent Star Chefs awards and tasting gala at The Goat Farm.

Declare Independence from the Kitchen this 4th of July

The Peachtree Road Race along with other patriotic festivities will surely work up a July 4^th appetite. No need to add even more heat to this summer day by cooking; allow Atlanta restaurants to do all the work for you with these eating out options.

Start Independence Day early with Woodfire Grill’s annual “BBQ & Beer” event on July 3 from 5:30-11 p.m. Executive Chef Kevin Gillespie’s three-course, all-American menu includes an appetizer, main course of BBQ, Brunswick stew and sides, and banana pudding for dessert. Beer from Atlanta's own SweetWater Brewery will star alongside the food, and all proceeds from SweetWater beer sales will benefit the brewery's campaign to "Save theHooch." Dinner cost is $38 per person (plus tax and gratuity). Reservations are required as seating is limited. Call 404-347-9055.

Atkins Park Tavern in Virginia Highland celebrates July 4^th with their “Go Whole Hog or Go Home” lunch and dinner special. A meat-and-three-sides menu is the food of champions for $15 per person (excluding beverage, tax and gratuity). Cheer for beer and a chance to win some of the $500 in prizes at the tavern's Backyard Beer Olympics beginning at 4 p.m.

Baseball-bound Atkins Park Tavern in Smyrna and Ormsby's are running their hit ballpark bus trip to the Atlanta Braves versus Chicago Cubs game. Get the whole shebang for $55 per person: beer, Jäger, hot dogs, roundtrip bus ride, ticket to the 7:10 p.m. game and plenty of time to watch the post-game fireworks show. Sure to sell out so call Atkins Park Tavern in Smyrna at 770-435-1887 or Ormsby's at 404-968-2033 to reserve your ticket(s).

Open for you on the Fourth are:

*  Alon's Bakery and Market in Virginia Highland and Dunwoody, open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.

*  Atkins Park Tavern in Virginia Highland and Smyrna

*  Ecco, European-inspired bistro, open for dinner in Midtown

*  Fleming'sPrime Steakhouse and Wine Bar in Dunwoody

*  La Tavola Trattoria for an Italian dinner in Virginia Highland

*  All eight Marlow's Tavern locations

*  No. 246 for Italian in Decatur

*  The Original El Taco in Virginia Highland

*  Ormsby's on Atlanta's Westside, dinner only

*  RA Sushi Bar Restaurant for Japanese fusion, sushi and fun drinks in Midtown

*  Ray's in the City, Ray's at KillerCreek and Ray's on the River open from 4 - 9 p.m.

*  Smashburger, all five Atlanta-area locations will be open

*  South City Kitchen Vinings for Southern fare in Vinings

*  Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food for a July 4th fiesta in Buckhead and Sandy Springs

Who's taking the day off?  Closed for the holiday are: Alma Cocina, Aqua blue, Aria, Chicken and theEgg, JCT. Kitchen &Bar, KaleidoscopeBistro & Pub, The Optimist, South City Kitchen Midtown and Woodfire Grill. 

RA Sushi Keeps Watermelon-Kiwi Pairings Rolling Through July

All the good vibes emitting from guests at RA Sushi Bar Restaurant prompted the Midtown restaurant and bar to extend the popular Watermelon Kiwi Shrimp and Melon-Kiwi-Tini pairing through July 31. There's an instant chill factor with each bite of Watermelon Kiwi Shrimp layered with watermelon, kiwi, orange slices and lychee and topped with shrimp. Melon-Kiwi-Tini muddles Monin Watermelon, Svedka Citron, shochu and a splash of citrus soda and dolls it up with watermelon and kiwi slices. Order the pairing for $18 -- less than a bikini and one size fits all.

Dogfish Head Beer Dinner Pours "Off-Centered Ales For Off-Centered People" at Woodfire Grill

Get ready for a guest appearance from Dogfish Head Craft Beers all the way from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware this Thursday, June 28 at Woodfire Grill. Don’t be late to the 6:30 p.m. five-course beer dinner which features what Dogfish is proud to call “off-centered” ales, as they challenge traditional beer perceptions. Selection includes: Midas Touch, Red and White, Raison D'Etre, Black and Blue, Burton Baton and Festina Peche. Pair these unique ales with Woodfire Grill’s special menu centered around fresh, seasonal ingredients for a dining event that will come together in harmony. Cocktails and appetizers come out at 6:30 p.m. Dinner begins at 7 p.m. The $90 dinner excludes tax and gratuity. Only 20 seats are available. Call 404-347-9055 to make your reservation. More on Facebook. 

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!

Cozy Up to the Counter at Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub

It’s chef showtime at 7 p.m. this Thursday night, June 28, at Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub in Brookhaven. Six guests will have front-row seats at the counter for Chef Joey Riley’s spellbinding culinary action accompanied by a four-course dinner. The night’s dinner plan involves scallops, pork belly, peaches and cherrywood-smoked duck a l’orange. Alcohol is not included in the $50-per-person price; pairings are available at $25 per person. Bring your own bottle of wine for a $15 corkage fee. Dinner with a chef’s counter view only happens on the last Thursday of the month at Kaleidoscope. Book now by calling 404-474-9600.

Get Your Licks: Slow Food Atlanta Annual Ice Cream Social

Who doesn’t love an opportunity to indulge in one of summer’s best treats? Join established chefs and ambitious amateurs while they churn out homemade ice cream and sorbet for the tasting at Slow Food Atlanta’s 6^th Annual Ice Cream Social this Saturday, June 23 from 12:30- 2 p.m. at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market. Flavors will be anything but standard. Taria Camerino, pastry chef at The Optimist and No. 246 will serve samples of goat cheese ice cream with roasted peaches and candied fennel. Get tickets before they run out. Adults are $15 and children 5-10 are $5 each; free for children 5 and under. Proceeds benefit Slow Food Atlanta.

Enter Your Appetizing Aperture In The Vidalia Onion Facebook Photo Contest

It's Vidalia Onion season and there are dishes aplenty to fix right now with this Georgia sweetie, like this summer delight! Get cooking in the kitchen and then take your best shot of your culinary creation. Focus on the onions and leave any onion packaging out of the shot. TheVidalia Onion Facebook Photo Contest deadline is July 5, and we'd hate for you to cry over missing it when the winners are announced. The winning entries will win an autographed CD from great Universal Music country artists and will be entered for a grand prize trip to Nashville! 

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

Nathan Berrong of Decatur writes about beer for CNN's food and drink blog, Eatocracy and tweets between sips. Pull up a stool to the tweet counter, draft a mug full and tweet along (@nathanberrong). Pour another and read more on Eatocracy. Pour one more (hey, who's counting?) and follow his beer logs at Untappd.

Make Your Way To Dunwoody Restaurant Week With Prix Fixe Meals At Alon's Bakery And Market, June 23 - 30

Ready for an amazing OTP dining adventure? Dunwoody Restaurant Week 2012 will be here June 23- 30! Be sure to head to Alon's Bakery and Market for special restaurant week prix fixe lunch and dinner menus. Alon's $10 lunch starts with a garden or Caesar salad or your choice of soup. Next, select an entrée of Margherita pizza, spicy Tunisian tuna sandwich or a roasted chicken with pesto sandwich. 

For $25, dinner includes three courses: your choice of seared tuna chips, Israeli hummus or a Greco, garden or Caesar salad as an appetizer accompanied by your entrée choice of house-ground Meyer beef burger and fries, any of Alon's signature pizzas or grilled salmon with truffle-crispy mashed potatoes and wilted spinach. Lucky you! Choose any one of Alon's individual desserts as your dinner finale. 

Price excludes beverage, tax and gratuity. Alon's has a wide variety of wines, beers and other beverages available to purchase to complement your meal. Don't forget that Alon's is celebrating its 20^thanniversary so look for anniversary specials throughout the year!

Atkins Park Tavern in Smyrna Throws Rad 80s Prom Party on June 22

Devo - "Whip It"

Children of the 80s will want to head to Atkins Park Tavern in Smyrna for "Back to the '80s Prom Night" on Friday, June 22. Get inspired by your favorite 80s movie and break out your poufy prom dress and get your Miami Vice-like white linen suit pressed and ready to impress. Enter the costume contest and you could win a prize for the best '80s look. Party starts at 10 p.m., and DJ H. will keep those 80s tunes playing until 4 a.m. 

What's New On Pinterest: In Season Now - Fresh From The Garden

Grilled Zucchini & Eggplant Parmesan Recipe {Vegetarian} by CookinCanuck, via Flickr

Leafy green, sweet pepper orange and crooked neck squash yellow... eating summer veggies gives you that healthy glow. Besides, they'll look fabulous on our Pinterest board, don't you think? 

South City Kitchen Vinings "Summer In The Kitchen" Menu Ushers In First Week Of Summer

It’s time to give up cooking in your kitchen and give in to South City Kitchen Vining’s limited time “Summer in the Kitchen” menu. From June 21-June 30 you can enjoy special summer offerings in addition to the usual beloved menu items. 

Drool over heirloom tomatoes and watermelon with minted basil syrup; crisp pig ear salad; "Beer Belly" Sapelo Island clams steamed in SweetWater 420 with house bacon; chilled poached shrimp with grilled savoy cabbage and Benedictine dressing; Gulf shrimp and crab ceviche; or smoked brisket chili with boiled peanuts, cilantro, smoked cheddar and sour cream. ($7-$10). For "hot dog, it's summer!" flair, the kitchen tops Certified Angus beef hot dogs with your choice of fried avocado and sweet corn relish, bacon-wrapped with grilled Georgia peaches or green tomato chow-chow on an H&F bun ($6). Marinated cukes, Valbreso feta and lamb's lettuce dress the flavorful lamb burger; chicken thighs are slathered in white BBQ sauce as they bask alongside vinegared potato salad and grilled summer corn; grilled flat-iron steak goes west next to ranch beans, arugula and smoked chili ketchup while cedar plank salmon hooks up with BBQ Vidalia onions and Georgia peaches ($12-$24). Finish off the meal with a pie plate of oatmeal, moon and fried pies ($9). For reservations, click here or call 770-435-0700.

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

Rise and shine, hungry Dish readers --  our newest edition is ready for you!

Not receiving the Dish every Tuesday morning? That's easy to fix! You can sign up either here on our blog or on our Facebook page. Thanks for reading!

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?