Speaking Easily About Winter Cocktails at Atlanta Restaurants

Cocktails at No. 246

Ice has its place in the winter, preferably sparkling in a glass ready to host a mixologist’s potion at one of Atlanta’s warm and amiable restaurants. While we won’t divulge recipes, we will share some of the ingredients and tip you toward places to find the alluring elixirs.

At Fifth Group Restaurants, mixologists generate cocktails with vision. Picture where you’ll be as you sip The Shores of Paris made with Breckenridge Vodka, Lillet Rouge and Combier and Kümmel liqueurs; Fireside with smoky hints of Fidencio Mezcal Joven, The Irishman Irish Whiskey, Flor de Cana 7-year Rum, Grand Marnier and bitters; Brickwalker with baked apple and black walnut bitters muddled with Dolin Rouge Vermouth dressed with Bulleit Rye, a sugar cube and a brandied cherry; and the forceful Renegade of Redemption Rye, Cynar, amaretto and bitters.

For a cocktail as lovely to look at as to imbibe, try the elegant Haute Holiday at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. Each champagne flute bubbles with Mionetto Prosecco, St. Germain and Quady Elysium. Spice girls and guys may crave the Merry Mint Spice where Gentleman Jack, Domaine De Canton Ginger Liqueur, POM juice, simple syrup and fresh mint leaves meet over ice in a bucket glass.

Atlanta’s Westside is home to JCT. Kitchen & Bar where guests are going gaga over winter mixers such as the Poinsettia with poached cranberries, Ruby Liqueur and prosecco; Stocking Full of Coal with Gosling’s Black Rum, Nux Alpina Walnut Liqueur, Black Strap Molasses and Smuttynose Porter; Figgy Pudding rich with brown sugar syrup, aromatic bitters and fig-infused Jim Beam; Reindeer Games  playfully blending Averell Damson Gin, Knickerbocker Gin, Leopold’s Cranberry Liqueur, lemon and cranberry bitters; Feliz Navidad’s heady blend of Lunazul-infused cinnamon, Domain de Canton Ginger Liqueur, chocolate and orange; a Little Rummer Boy that snares vanilla-infused 10 Cane Rum, falernum, Tuaca Liqueur, lemon juice and Whiskey Barrel Bitters; a heartwarming Mistle Toddy mug of spiced Redemption Rye, Cherry Heering, honey and chai tea; and Mull it Over served hot, cold, sparkling or still with mulled wine, wassail and spiced cider.

This winter, The Optimist promises smooth sailing with a cocktail glass or mug for every taste. Coconut eggnog twists a tropical classic of eggs, cream, Brinley Gold Shipwreck Spiced Rum, coconut milk and nutmeg while Shandy Claus wraps a woodsy blend of Tanqueray, Zirbenz Stone Pine Liqueur of the Alps, IPA, lemon, sugar and grapefruit bitters. Cold noses will thaw over Mexican hot chocolate spiked with Hangar One Chipotle Vodka, Kahlua, cinnamon and sea salt or a hot buttered rum with The Kraken Black Spiced Rum, cinnamon-clove butter and brown sugar. Ticklers include Christmas on Cape Cod, which tops citrus vodka and cranberry juice with a prosecco floater and spice-poached New England cranberries or the Sparkle Motion of cava, true-pomegranate grenadine and pomegranate seeds.

Come in from the cold to cheery No. 246 in downtown Decatur where gem-hewed glasses include Pimm’s Cup, Red Ryder, Poinsettia, Royal Tannenbaum and a fragrant spiked cider with a cinnamon bark swizzle stick.

Ten nostalgically named winter signature cocktails top the cocktail menu at The Pinewood in Decatur. Roots Radicals mixes Bulleit Bourbon, Angostura Bitters, sugar beet, Maraschino and lime; El Wormhole shakes up Laird’s Bonded Apple Brandy, Fidencio Mezcal, amaretto, caramelized apple gastrique and bitters; Golden Fiddle strums Bacardi Solera, Cardamaro, Georgia sweet potato, white balsamic, house ginger soda and Grains of Paradise spice. More options include Day that I Die with Riverboat Rye, buckwheat honey and Georgia pecan tincture; the PWTR Draft Old Fashioned of small batch bourbon, bitters and oleo saccharum; PWTR Draft Sazerac with rye, bitters, gomme syrup and absinthe rinse; Pinewood Porch Punch of spiced tea-infused vodka, fresh citrus, orange flower water, bitters and sugar or a star-struck list including B. Bardot, Violet Beauregarde and Jackie O. 

Roots Radicals at The Pinewood

10th and Piedmont Turns Sunday Into a Social Event with Bellini Brunch and Afternoon Tea Dance

10th and Piedmont may be the new folks in town, but they sure know how to draw in the crowds on a lazy Sunday. The new Midtown restaurant hosts a Bellini brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. followed by a tea dance until close. 

A traditional afternoon tea dance followed garden parties in the English countryside in the 1800s and has since carried over to the States in the 1920s (think the song "Tea for Two" in the Broadway musical "No, No Nanette.") Restaurant owners and brothers Sean and Gilbert Yeremyan have modernized this tradition by bringing in a live DJ for dance music. Just like those old garden parties, there is no cover charge. 

Bellinis are only available during brunch and the bubbly complements the menu of Chef Brett Ring. The multicultural and southern cuisine feature items such as "Hair of the Dog," toasted Cuban bread topped with smoked tomatoes, Asiago cheese, two poached eggs and vodka tomato gravy; a meaty breakfast with two eggs, link sausage, ham, toasted bread and butter, bacon and grilled tomatoes; chicken and waffles; grits with applewood smoked bacon, sweet corn and sorghum syrup; grilled cheese and tomato bisque; So-Co bagel and lox; buttermilk biscuits with vodka tomato gravy and choice of country ham sausage or bacon; as well as customary morning foods such as blueberry pancakes, oatmeal and more. 


FYI, the Yeremyan brothers also own and operate HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern and Gilbert's Café & Bar as part of their restaurant group, Communitas Hospitality.

Pop the Cork on New Year's Plans and More in this Week's Dish

Leave the cooking and party planning to Atlanta restaurants this New Year's Eve and Day. Check out the offerings from some of the top dining spots in the city, plus plenty more to celebrate in this week's Dish!

Marlow's Tavern Opens at Emory Point Community Today

Marlow's Tavern gives its patrons one more place to dine out in Atlanta with the newest location opening this Tuesday December 18. Located in the new Emory Point shopping district at 1627 Clifton Road, the restaurant's 160-seated dining room and covered patio are sure to draw in the Decatur community as it becomes a lively neighborhood hangout.
 The classic American tavern fare and hand-crafted cocktails are appealing and affordable.Another reason to dine out at the new Marlow's is the debut of the new winter menu that includes dishes such as stuffed turkey burgers and steak frites, classic shrimp and crab nachos and the Prestige Farms grilled chicken panini. The beverage menu showcases a variety of white and red wines, a simple yet pleasing beer menu and homemade cocktails mixed with fresh fruit, simple syrup and small batch liquors.

The first Marlow’s Tavern location opened in 2004 in Alpharetta. Over the past eight years, Marlow’s Tavern locations have sprung up in neighborhoods across the metro-Atlanta area. Marlow’s builds a sense of community through involvement with non-profit organizations such as Special Olympics Georgia and the Atlanta Community Food Bank, as well as by welcoming each guest with warm hospitality and world-class food and drinks.

Pop the Cork on New Year's Eve Revelry and New Year's Day Dining to Usher in 2013

  

  

  

Atlantans looking for a reason to celebrate Mondays have a big one: New Year's Eve falls on a Monday this year. Our city's restaurants are ready with parties and dinners both elegant and casual. If a resolution is to try out more restaurants, go ahead and start on New Year's Day with some of these suggestions.

Welcome the New Year with the new kid in Midtown, 10^th & Piedmont, which is already quite at home on the corner that formerly housed Outwrite bookstore. Food and drink specials, the regular menu and a DJ are part of the plan. Reservations accepted for parties of eight or more. Rent out a booth in the "celebration lounge." Call 404-602-5510 for details and minimums.

Aqua blue in Roswell is hosting a festive Blue Year's Eve celebration. A special three-course prix fixe menu is available for $49 per person in addition to the full à la carte menu. Enjoy menu items like the Maine lobster bisque, five-spice New York strip and crispy shrimp and house-made warm chocolate cake. DJ starts up at 9 p.m. followed by a champagne toast and party favors at midnight. Reservations: 770-643-8886. 

In the heart of Midtown, Ecco rings in the new year with special menu items on Monday, December 31. The special additions include beet velouté with pears, nasturtium, bay scallop crudo and smoked paprika ($13); baked farm egg with charred duck liver, preserved lemon, lavender cream and celery leaves ($10); roasted quail with chestnut risotto and black currant gastrique ($18); wood-grilled rib-eye with smoked cauliflower, crisp chanterelle mushrooms and béarnaise ($58); steelhead trout with scarlet queen turnips, roe, saffron and arugula ($29), and milk chocolate torte with spiced pineapple and pine nut tuile ($9). The regular menu is available in addition to these one-night-only dishes. For reservations, call 404-347-9555.

Ring in the New Year over a weekend-long celebration at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. From 4 p.m. on Friday, December 28 until Tuesday, January 1, indulge in festive holiday cocktails or featured bubbly and then dine from the New Year's menu or famous à la carte menu. The special New Year's menu starts with poached gulf shrimp over Southern-style goat cheese grits, included with entrée price. Entrées include Delmonico steak with blue crab and Gruyère glassage for $74.95, filet mignon and lobster brioche bread pudding for $69.95 and lobster tail with mac and cheese for $79. Chocolate budino finishes the meal for $9.95. Tax and gratuity not included. Reservations: 770-698-8112. 

JCT. Kitchen & Bar is serving a Southern dinner this New Year's Eve on Monday, December 31. For $65 per person, the restaurant is offering a taste plus a three-course meal. Diners begin the meal with the featured taste of aged goat cheese with country ham and garlic herb toast. Other sample items from the menu include smoked baby beets with watermelon radish, Asher Blue, tiny croutons and green goddess; hickory smoked beef short ribs and seared sea scallops with root vegetable Gouda gratin and braising reduction; and "nearly" flourless chocolate cake with milk chocolate ganache and white chocolate sorbet. There is a corkage fee of $10 per bottle. For reservations or more information, call 404-355-2252.

The second annual New Year's Eve party at Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub happens Monday, December 31, beginning with dinner service from 5 p.m. on and an optional three-course meal for $20.12. Food and drink specials roll all evening, and DJ B-Dub starts spinning tunes at 10 p.m. Champagne is available for a midnight toast, and the bar is open until 2 a.m. No cover charge.

Atlantans can bite into the New Year with Little Cake Bakery's strawberry and champagne cupcakes. These sweet confections pair perfectly with a glass of bubbly. For more information or to place orders, call 404-841-8856.

Visit your neighborhood Marlow's Tavern this New Year's Eve for a chef-driven, prix fixe menu for $37 per person. Start with Maine lobster and shrimp chowder or the winter tavern salad. The main plate is a grilled veal chop with Canadian milk-fed veal, harvest vegetable and lump crab hash, dried cranberry, beurre blanc, asparagus and cranberry veal demi. Chocolate crème brûlée fulfills the sweet tooth. More information and locations are on the website. The newest Marlow's Tavern in Emory Point will be open on New Year's Eve.

Add an Italian twist to New Year's Eve at Decatur's No. 246. Their four-course menu is $55 per person and features local cauliflower panna cotta with frothy sea urchin sweet butter, Osetra caviar, soft herbs and brioche; Nantucket Bay scallop carpaccio with Meyer lemon; local crispy parsnips with Tennessee black truffles; butter-poached Maine lobster with young fennel, blood orange, tarragon, olives and arugula; and brie and white chocolate cheesecake with roasted pears and walnut nougatine. Closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year's Day. Reservations: 678-399-8246.

In West Midtown, The Optimist will ring in 2013 with a four-course prix fixe menu on New Year's Eve for $65 per person. Menu items include shrimp pop tarts; baked Virginia oysters with spinach, bacon, preserved lemon and parmesan cheese; grouper with white wine-steamed clams, lump crab meat, leeks, baby bok choy and lemon; and banana custard pocket pie with pralines, pralines and cream ice cream and salted pecans. Reservations: 404-477-6260.

Midtown's RA Sushi Bar Restaurant throws a RAckin' New Year's Eve party from 7 p.m. to close. Evening-long food specials include Firework shrimp, "RA"solution roll, Stroke of Midnight maki and Edamame Eve dip. Party drinks include half-price sake and specialty cocktails. Note: RA Sushi is open on Christmas Eve from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. and closed on Christmas Day. More information: call 404-267-0114.

Ray's Restaurants offers diners a warm place to gather this holiday season. Ray's on the Creek in Alpharetta is open from 5-11 p.m. on New Year's Eve, and the bar will remain open until 1 a.m.; New Year's Day hours are 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Reservations: 770-649-0064. Ray's on the River is throwing a New Year's Eve party from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. in the Grand Pavilion. Guests can partake of the premium open bar, heavy hors d'oeuvre, oyster shucking station, six-piece live band with dancing plus a midnight balloon drop and champagne toast. $125 per person plus tax and gratuity. Reservations: 770-955-1187 or email ali@raysrestaurants.com; credit card number required to hold reservations. The restaurant itself is open from 5-11 p.m. on New Year's Eve, and the bar will remain open until 1 a.m. They also will be open New Year's Day from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Ray's in the City is open New Year's Eve from 4-11 p.m. and New Year's Day from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Reservations: 404-524-9224.

On Monday, December 31, South City Kitchen Midtown and South City Kitchen Vinings  are celebrating New Year's Eve with a special three-course prix fixe menu at $42 per person. Both locations are offering options such as house-made pimento cheese with toasted corn crackers, butter pickles and celery hearts, pan-seared duck breast with butternut puree, mustard greens and sweet garlic jus, and Velvet Elvis Cake, banana-chocolate mayonnaise cake with peanut butter icing. For more information or to make reservations, call 404-873-7358 for the Midtown location and 770-435-0700 for the Vinings location.

Woodfire Grill is offering several five-course menu options on New Year's Eve. The chef's tasting menu and pescatarian option are priced at $115 per person and the vegetarian menu is $100. Wine pairings are also available for $12 per glass or $20 per glass for premium wines. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 404-347-9055. 

Celebrate New Year's Day with Bantam + Biddy's special menu or order from the regular menu. On Tuesday, January 1, the restaurant offers a traditional Southern special of corned Brasstown ham and ham gravy, stewed organic black-eyed peas, braised collard greens, Buckeye Creek grits and sweet potato pie, all for $20. Bottomless Bloody Marys and mimosas are offered all day for $10. Call 404-907-3469 for more information.

Rise Up! Visit Shaun Doty at 2View During the Falcons-Giants Game

Photo Credit: Angie Mosier

Bird watchers, this is your game! The Atlanta Falcons sharpen their talons on the New York Giants at this Sunday's game in the Georgia Dome at 1 p.m. Upstairs in 2View Restaurant, Chef Shaun Doty fuels your afternoon with his Bantam + Biddy wings recipe. Stay abreast of field action via wall-flanking screens at the restaurant overlooking the east end zone at Gate F, executive concourse.

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

Now, 20-something eater/writer/Tweeter/blogger Grace Yu (@graceyu) puts it right out there exclaiming "My stupid thoughts are mine & mine alone."  A disclaimer like that only makes one want to read more so take a lap on the laptop and check out her blog. 

What's New on Pinterest: Holiday Hankerings

Photo: Peppermint Sugar Cookies by Bakerella

That awesome moment when you're looking for a fast and fresh holiday idea and then you spy - strawberry Santas. How berry merry and adorable they'll be, befriending Christmas tree cupcakes and peppermint coffee toddies. 

Not wanting to be s-elfish, we're glad to re-gift these pins for you on our Pinterest board.

Appetizing Aperture: Fantastic Sweets at No. 246

Those visions of sugarplums are just visions. No. 246 has the real sweets from Creative Director Taria Camerino -- a new dessert menu offering smaller pastries to share and pair with cocktails. Pair flourless chocolate cake with a Harvey Darko ($4 dessert/$7 cocktail); pistachio cannoncini with Biscotti Spumanti ($4/$7); biscotto with the "8 1/2" of house-made espresso liquor, spiced turbinado syrup and whipped cream ($4/$6). Weekends, drool over the new pastry and candy window case filled with sugared and raisin brioche, apple tarts, cranberry clafoutis, chocolate black pepper sable, pasticciotto, donuts and more scrumptious baked goods. 

Big White Oak Pastures Sale Starts Today

Photo by Angie Mosier

You're going to want to stock up with this deal on pasture-raised livestock and poultry from White Oak Pastures. All of us at MLA are planning to go in together to place an order and share the shipping! This is a great way to enjoy healthier meals for the holidays and into the new year at a reduced price. Check out the December sale that starts today and goes until the meat runs out, which might be sooner than you think. Let us know if you want to join in with our order!

Alpharetta Restaurant Ray's on the Creek Gets a Facelift

The Ray's restaurant in Alpharetta is undergoing an exciting transformation, changing both its name and atmosphere. The restaurant has been renamed Ray's on the Creek and is getting a new look to go along with it. 
The coastal-inspired decor and revamped bar are paired with a new menu to welcome guests for lunch, dinner and drinks. The new dinner menu features shareable dishes and options under $30 while the lunch menu highlights sandwiches and entrees under $20. The recipes are inspired from the chefs of all three Ray's restaurants. Guests will be happy to see several of their favorite entrees on the menu in addition to the new features.
Ray's Founder Raymond Schoenbaum says the restaurant's lively personality, congenial attitude and reasonably priced menus will keep Ray's on the Creek on the often-frequented "A" list for those in Alpharetta and beyond.

Dear Santa: Our MLA Holiday Wish List

Dearest Santa,

Another year has come and gone and we have been extra good here at MLA this year! We hope you enjoy the cookies we’ll leave for you (and carrots for Rudolph, natch) and that you can honor our most humble of requests this holiday season.

Gretchen Howard, Media Relations, is okay with finding a hardboiled egg in the toe of her stocking as long as the next item up is the Williams-Sonoma 3-in-1 egg slicer. Gretchen is tired of trying to grip slippery eggs when slicing them up for egg salad, and this easy-to-clean gadget would do an egg-cellent job.

Intern Alexa Lampasona pines for a sturdy seven-quart Cuisinart stand mixer to be her strong arm for heavy duty mixing, beating, whipping and kneading. Santa helper hint - visit The Cook's Warehouse or order online.

Nicole Hunnicutt, Client Services, beams over Rewined candles, which emit clean-burning yet intoxicating wafts of Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, champagne and other wine varietals. The Charleston, SC-based company rescues already enjoyed wine bottles, cuts them and hand pours 11 ounces of natural soy candle wax into each bottle bottom for 60-80 hours of light.

Atlanta native and MLA Administrative Assistant Shelby Remer thinks AHeirloom's Georgia-shaped cutting board would look sharp in her kitchen and be useful for cutting and serving. State series boards are crafted of renewable bamboo and can be personalized with a heart cutout in the location of your hometown or favorite place.

Social Media Director Mandy Betts is planning ahead for the arrival of Baby Betts in 2013. She envisions pureeing and chopping veggies from her garden to make wholesome baby food. Catching her eye, a certain Cuisinart food processor at The Cook's Warehouse.

Always looking for ways to stir-up kitchen excitement (and not burn the soup), MLA Founder Melissa Libby has her eye on a self-stirring saucepan. Let's hope she gets it so she's not up all night scraping the bottom of the pan after Christmas dinner.

When life's a circus, only a commercial-caliber countertop popcorn popper will suffice. Media Relations Manager Amy Geismar has found one that can produce six quarts of popcorn every three minutes and is clad with aluminum for easy cleanup. Mental note to see if she gets it before bowl game time.

Media Relations Director Suong Nguyen would love a keepsake wooden recipe box to hold her treasured recipe cards - like this one at Honey Bee Invites. HBI also personalizes and offers a way to print recipe cards.

Client Services Manager Erica Goss hankers to surround herself with eye candy as found in the collection of food graphics posters at BKLYN Larder. Her heart is melting for the gelato poster, and she hopes someone will scoop one up for her.

Client Services Manager Tuan Huynh caught a glimpse of "wildly strong" YETI Coolers, touted "for people who actually roast chestnuts over an open fire" and knew he wanted one to chill and protect his craft beers. Only the coolest for our guy Tuan, so we'll be sure to ask for the free gift pack with purchase.

Come see us anytime you need a break from the North Pole weather, Santa! And thanks from all of us!

Love,

MLA

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!

Park the Sleigh at ATL Restaurants for Holiday Meals and Festivities and More in this Week's Dish

This Christmas, the MLA staff is wishing and hoping for Santa to bring them all things culinary--from a Cuisinart stand mixer to a self-stirring saucepan. Whether or not the gift is sitting under the tree on Christmas Day, everyone will have a place to gather for a delicious chef-driven holiday meal. There's plenty to devour and more in this week's Dish!

Better than Santa in the Kitchen - Chefs in Restaurants for Your Holiday Dinners and Parties

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are drawing near, and Atlanta's best restaurants are ready with options, whether you're looking for a place to carry out for a home gathering or an elegant dinner out. Here is a list of restaurants with holiday happenings: Roswell dwellers can gather at Aqua blue for their Christmas Eve dinner. From 4-9 p.m. on December 24, a special three-course menu will be offered at $29 per person in addition to the full à la carte menu. The special menu includes the Aqua blue daily soup, 12 oz. rib-eye with horseradish sauce and house-made warm chocolate cake. For reservations, call 770-643-8886. Atkins Park in Virginia Highland and Atkins Park in Smyrna are open on Christmas Day, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Virginia Highland location and 5 p.m. at Smyrna. At Atkins Park Virginia Highland, dinner is priced at $22 for adults, $15 for young adults and $8 for children under 10 years old. The main course boasts Big Green Egg smoked turkey breast, braised pork shoulder with roasted root vegetables, green bean casserole, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, cranberry Gran Marnier compote and sweet potato biscuits. Save room for pumpkin cheesecake and Southern pecan pie for dessert. Dinner at Atkins Park Smyrna costs $20 for adults, $15 for young adults and $8 for children under 10 years old.  The meal starts off with pimento cheese, deviled eggs and pickled beets. Main courses include deep-fried Creole turkey breast and Dr. Pepper spiral-glazed ham along with squash casserole with cracker topping, herbed bread stuffing, sweet potato soufflé with streusel topping, southern-style green beans, cranberry orange relish and pull-apart rolls. Dessert tops off the meal with a pumpkin and mascarpone cheese roll. Reservations: Virginia Highland, 404-876-7249. Smyrna, 770-435-1887. The holiday-hurried can pick up Bantam +Biddy's family meals. For $42, three to five family members or friends can take home a whole rotisserie chicken, meatloaf or herb-roasted pork loin, served with a family-sized organic green salad, jalapeño cheddar bread (gluten-free bread upon request), choice of dressing, three family-sized sides and a half-gallon of fresh brewed tea. Family meals are take-out only; 30 minutes notice required. Phone in your order to 404-907-3469 and pick it up curb-side. Host an easy "down home" Christmas dinner by ordering the whole feast from Buckhead Barbecue Company. Offering selections for any size party, the restaurant is cooking classics such as hickory honey and cracked pepper smoked turkey, apple-brandy and brown sugar smoked ham and all-natural Black Angus brisket. Sides and desserts feed between 12 to 15 people and include squash casserole, cornbread dressing, sweet potato soufflé and macaroni and cheese sides and desserts of the Buckhead cobbler (peach, apple, blueberry, blackberry and chocolate) or a traditional pumpkin pie. They're taking holiday meal orders until 12 p.m. on Saturday, December 22. Stop in or call 404-792-9388 On Christmas Eve, Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub turns two. Celebrate with their special three-course menu for $20.12 in addition to the regular menu. Reservations optional. Closed Christmas Day. Reservations: 404-474-9600. Little Cake Bakery in Buckhead has holiday cupcakes galore! Eggnog, peppermint, German chocolate and Black Forest cherry flavors are available for order and pick up before Santa arrives. For more information or to place orders, call 404-841-8856. Ray's Restaurants offers diners a warm place to gather this holiday season. Ray's on the Creek in Alpharetta is open from 4-9 p.m. on Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day. Reservations: 770-649-0064. Ray's on the River is open from 5-9 p.m. on Christmas Eve and closed on Christmas Day. Reservations: 770-955-1187. Ray's in the City is not open on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. On December 24, South City Kitchen Midtown is open for a three-course prix fixe Christmas Eve feast priced at $42 for adults and $21 for children under 12. Each guest can choose one appetizer, entrée and dessert. Some menu options include fried green tomatoes with goat cheese and sweet pepper coulis, smoke-roasted filet of beef with celery root potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts and truffle jus, and Southern chocolate pecan pie. Reservations: 404-873-7358. For easy holiday meals, call on Market Street Café or Bistro 191 to cater anything from breakfast and lunch gatherings to fine dining affairs. As a bonus, guests booking a catered event for 10 or more people will receive a complimentary $10 Market Street Café gift card. Place pre-orders for take-home treats, such as holiday breads and pies. To schedule a catered event or for pre-orders, call Market Street Café at 404-816-4911 and Bistro 191 at 404-233-0500.