Atlanta BBQ Club Monthly "Meatings"

 

Satiating a BBQ craving can be a daunting task. It's not easy to find that perfect combination of  sweet and tangy sauce, covering tender, juicy  meat. But now there's a club to help you discover the best BBQ in the city.  The "meatings" are downright delicious and members are into trying out every kind of tender, barbecued pork butt, brisket or chicken they can muster up in the metro area.  Atlanta BBQ Club members meet up at various barbecue places each month for a little pork barrel spending of their own combined with a healthy serving of socializing. Their next get together (a.k.a. official business "meating") will take place on Sunday, February 24 at 2 p.m. at Spoon's Smokehouse BBQ, 5040 Old National Highway in College Park. Purchase tickets online and get ready to share some divine swine and finger-lickin' chicken.

What's new on Pinterest: Chocolate Cravings

We know Valentine's Day is over, but that doesn't mean the chocolate-y fun has to stop! Check out our Pinterest board for ideas such as tofu chocolate pudding, a giant Kit Kat bar, or the ultimate decadently dense, flourless chocolate cake. There is always a right time to eat chocolate!

Appetizing Aperture

 

 

We're thinking seafood! Enjoy delicious crab cakes hand crafted by Marietta's newest seafood restaurant, Pier 213 Seafood. Just look at this beauty. Hunks of fresh, tender crabmeat from the Gulf, seasoned, pattied and seared to a luxurious golden brown hue. Dress casual, ride the tide to Marietta and place your order at the counter to get yours for lunch any day or dinner Monday through Saturday.

Read It and Tweep: TravelGirl Magazine Just Wants to Have Global Fun

  

In its fifth year of publication, Atlanta's own TravelGirl Magazine enthralls women 25-65 who love all things travel related. The magazine covers the senses: sense of humor, sense of adventure, sense to catch Twitter tips (@TravelGirlMag) on the go, and the most important of all, the sense to pack stylish, comfortable shoes.

Sample Tweet: Take time this holiday wknd to plan ur 2013 travels. NOLA is hot: Mardi Gras, Super Bowl, Jazz Fest@TravelgirlSteph will keep us posted!

Aqua blue and Marlow's Tavern Dish It Out for Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at 10th Annual Taste of Dunwoody

Taste of Dunwoody sells out each year, which is no surprise considering guests can sample specialties from more than 25 of the area's top restaurants such as Marlow's Tavern and Aqua blue. The event, which benefits Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, celebrates its 10^th anniversary on February 15 at the Westin Atlanta Perimeter North in the Concourse complex on the Perimeter's top end. Guests will dance off their noshing to music by Yacht Rock Revue and bid on silent auction deals.
 

Weeknights at HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern

 

Look no further for weeknight plans. HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern in Midtown takes daily specials to a whole new level. Mondays are "Date Night" where $19.95 buys a three-course dinner for two (go ahead, call your date today). Pop in on Tuesdays for all-you-can-eat sliders for $12.95 from 5-11 p.m. and show off your smarts when trivia begins at 8:30 p.m. On Wednesdays, stake your claim to surf and turf with a complementary beer pairing, all for only $15. HOBNOB rocks with live music on Thursdays from 8-11 p.m., perfect for toe tapping and finger snapping out any workweek tensions. With all of these succulent and social weeknight opportunities, you'll need the weekend to rest!

5 Chefs + 5 Pigs + 5 Winemakers = Cochon 555 -- Coming Home to Atlanta February 17

Brady Lowe began Cochon 555 five years ago right here in Atlanta to promote sustainable farming of heritage breed pigs. Stopping in 10 cities across the United States, the culinary competition and tasting event is returning home to Atlanta with a stop at the Sheraton Atlanta Downtown on Sunday, February 17. Joe Schafer of King + Duke is one of the five chefs preparing a snout-to-tail menu using one of five pigs in the pork-centric competition. The lineup of 20 event judges includes Gerry Klaskala of Aria, Ford Fry of JCT. Kitchen & Bar, No. 246 and The Optimist, Drew Van Leuven of Seven Lamps and Chad Clevenger of Alma Cocina. Guests and judges will determine the “best bite of the day” and send the winner on to the June 16 Grand Cochon competition at the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen, Colo. Seven Lamps Mixologist Arianne Fielder will compete against five other mixologists in the new “Punch Kings” cocktail competition open to VIP guests. All guests will pig out on pork and sample five bourbons in addition to the wines from five family wineries. And there’s more action in the pen: a butcher demonstration from Rusty Bowers of Pine Street Market, a raffle, ice-cold brews and a champagne toast, Fernet Branca digestifs and pork-spiked desserts. VIP ($200/person) admitted at 4 p.m.; general admission ($125/person) at 5 p.m. Purchase tickets online.

Atlanta Food & Wine Festival Tickets Go On Sale February 14

Save the date! Tickets for the 2013 Atlanta Food & Wine Festival in Midtown go on sale this Thursday, February 14. This year's special events, speakers, demonstrations and food and wine tastings span the weekend of Thursday, May 30-Sunday, June 2. These tickets would make an amazing addition to any Valentine's Day gift, so don't forget to purchase them for your love!

200 Words about Ray's Restaurants Could Win You $200

So you know that story you've told your friends and family a hundred times about the time you were at a Ray's Restaurant and that really awesome/life-changing/mind-blowing thing happened? Well, here's your chance to win a $200 dining card just for sharing it with the restaurant. Jot down that memorable moment in 200 words or less and send it to myraysstory@gmail.com by February 28 and you could have another great tale to tell, courtesy of your friends at Ray's.   The winner will be announced on March 1. No purchase necessary. Read complete details online and on Facebook. Follow along on Twitter (#myraysstory) and visit Pinterest for updates.

Take a Bite Out of the Big Easy with Marlow's Tavern "Bayou 'n Bourbon" Menu Plus More in this Week's Dish

Last minute Valentine's Day planners - you're in luck! With just two more days to make an impression on your loved one, be sure to check out our list of ATL restaurants with delicious V-Day specials. Ahead of the game on those dinner plans? Check out all the Mardi Gras fun and other events around the city, plus much more in this week's Dish! 

Fat Tuesday Fun at Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub

 

Celebrate Mardi Gras by enjoying Bourbon Street festivities right here in Brookhaven. Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub is loading up on beads, classic NOLA foods and adult beverages for Fat Tuesday fans on February 12. Specials such as red beans and rice, jambalaya, and gumbo with chicken, andouille sausage and tasso ham comfort Cajun cravings. Hurricane and Hand Grenade cocktails and shot specials put the whole krewe in a party attitude. More on Facebook.

Marlow’s Tavern is Ready to Let the Good Times Roll During “Bayou ‘n Bourbon”

Can’t travel to NOLA this week? No worries! Head to Marlow’s Tavern for the annual “Bayou ‘n Bourbon” menu! Get a bite of the Big Easy with delicious dishes like roast chicken and shrimp gumbo ($6.50); fiery crawfish fondue ($9); honey Jack chicken and andouille flatbread ($9.50); “Nawlins-style” po’ boy of shrimp and crawfish ($12.50); bayou burger spiked with andouille sausage, crawdaddies and cheddar cheese ($12); deconstructed jambalaya ($14); sweet Bourbon St. rib-eye blackened and blazed with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey ($26).

Ready for dessert? A honey bourbon bread pudding made with honey and vanilla crème brûlée, soaked ciabatta and a splash of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey ($7) closes the spirited meal. And you can’t forget the adult beverages… Marlow’s takes on New Orleans’ classic cocktails including “Pat’s” Marlow’s Hurricane ($8), Ramos Gin Fizz ($8.50), Cajun Cosmo ($9) with Absolut Mango and Pepper ($9) and Louisiana’s own Abita Restoration ($5.50), the ideal companion for spicy Cajun dishes. “Bayou ‘n Bourbon” pours it on through March 25!

Eat it and Tweep: Ellen at Fadó Irish Pubs Follows Futbol, 6 Nations and More

 

Ellen Peacock(@fado_ellen), the marketer for Fadó Irish Pubs, is THE person to follow with St. Patrick's Day just around the corner and heavy sports seasons not too far off. She knows all the happenings at Fadó Irish Pub, so you'll want to add her to your list!

Sample Tweet:  On a cold Winter's day: Try Corned beef & cabbage @fadoatlanta Hearty, warm & deee-licous. Photo courtesy- Kelsey Orr pic.twitter.com/OHYm8T0C

What's new on Pinterest: Relishing Romance

(Photo from Little Cake Bakery)

Relishing Romance is the topic du jour with Valentine's Day right around the corner! Looking for sweet treats for your honey or a Valentine's Day Party? We've got you covered with all sorts of sinfully delicious recipes! Find the perfect recipe from our heart-felt inspirations on our Pinterest board. 

Appetizing Aperture: Aria's Valentine's Day Dessert

Looking for the perfect way to end the night after a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner with your special someone? Aria Pastry Chef Kathryn King has you covered with this dreamy chocolate dessert. If this photo is enough to give you butterflies, just image what sharing the real thing could do for your love life. Embrace more Valentine’s Day dining options here on the Atlanta Dish.

Lure Hosts Atlanta Community Food Bank Supper Club on February 19

Head to Lure Tuesday, February 19 to be a part of The Atlanta Community Food Bank Supper Club which will reel in 20 percent of the day's sales at Lure in Midtown. Join them for lunch or dinner -- the more you eat, the more they give. Easy enough, considering Lure's menu is loaded with grilled fresh seafood and meats in shareable or sizeable portions, plus a whole menu section of "Raw, chilled and really fresh" selections. And then there's dessert. Reserve your place online or call 404-817-3650 and be sure to say "I'm dining out for ACFB."

The Mill Adds Southern Farmhouse Dinner Chic to Historic Roswell

  

The Mill Kitchen and Bar, opening February 18 by brothers Scott and Randy McCray with Chicken and the Egg owner Marc Taft, adds southern farmhouse dinner chic to Historic Roswell! Located at 590 Mimosa Boulevard, the quintessential Southern neighborhood spot wears easygoing farmhouse appeal. Taft gives a nod to modern tastes with culinary inspired cocktails, bourbons, wines and microbrews. There is truly a dish for everyone, so be sure to head their way this February!

Dine at JCT. Kitchen & Bar, No. 246 or The Optimist on February 9 to Benefit Team Hidi

Make a difference with your weekend plans! Join JCT. Kitchen & Bar, No. 246 and The Optimist Saturday night, February 9, to help Ryan Hidinger fight stage 4 gallbladder cancer. The restaurants are teaming up to host a Ryan Hidinger Benefit and donating 5 percent of dinner service profits to Team Hidi to help cover medical expenses. Bring your friends and eat delicious food for a great cause!

RA Sushi Lets Loose with "Mardi RA" Fat Tuesday Party

  

On Tuesday, February 12, RA Sushi Bar Restaurant is celebrating Fat Tuesday with "Mardi RA", giving Atlantans a much shorter trip from home and more money for food and drink specials to go along with the festivities and DJ entertainment. Go all out by spending some of your short-trip savings on Mardi Gras beads and attire. "Mardi RA" Big Easy specials heat up the party. Sriracha amps up noodle-laden spicy chicken and shishito green necklace ($7) and the chili shrimp roll ($8) while three beef kushiyaki skewers with teriyaki sauce ($9) appease mild-mannered souls. "Mardi RA" cocktails speak the NOLA language, translating to a Southern Julep with Southern Comfort and Maker's Mark ($8) and the HurRAcane storming with Southern Comfort and fresh fruit juices ($8). 

Atkins Park Smyrna Mardi Gras/Oyster Festing Begins This Friday

 

Oyster fans, get ready to head to Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Smyrna as they roll out their 2^nd Annual Oyster/Mardi Gras Fest this Friday, February 8 through Tuesday, February 12!  The fun starts on Friday night when live music from Dixie Duncan band starts up beginning at 11 p.m. Buy tickets online for Saturday's tented band fest and Sunday events, $5 in advance and $10 day of event at the door. There's a heap more hoopla at Monday's family friendly Lundi Gras and Tuesday's Mardi Gras mask party with band Andrew Black & Friends!

Peachtree-Pine Street Homeless Shelter Rooftop Garden Needs Your Seed Money to Grow

  

Help the Peachtree-Pine Street Homeless Shelter Rooftop Garden raise $2,500 to get off the ground and grow. The organic garden is part of the 100 Urban Gardens goal to build 100 urban gardens across 100 cities in the U.S. Partners PACT. Whole Foods Foundation and Indiegogo are behind the drive, pointing out that only 2 percent of our children eat enough fruits and veggies! The Peachtree-Pine space can accommodate a minimum of 40 rectangular beds plus vertical beds growing almost as many benefits as veggies. Learn about urban food production, sustainable technologies and all the benefits they bring. Don't forget to donate here!

New Pier 213 Seafood Brings Gulf-to-Plate Goodness to Marietta

Chances are Gulf Coast vacationers have heard of Irvington Seafood in Mobile, Alabama - or enjoyed their premium seafood at Atlanta-area restaurants over the past eight years. Now, owners and Marietta residents Kevin and Kammie Sakprasit are bringing their experience and expertise to their own community with the opening of their own eatery, Pier 213 Seafood on Wednesday, February 13. Located just a few blocks from the historic Marietta Square at 35 S. Marietta Parkway, the new venue is a family friendly, fast-casual restaurant where the brother and sister team can share their passion for seafood with their own neighbors. Guests contemplate the variety of fried, grilled, and steamed plates, po’ boys, sandwiches and the signature crab cake dish ($6.99-$15.99) before ordering at the counter. Shareable appetizers, sides and homemade desserts round out the menu delivering five-star flavor without five-star prices.

Take Your Next Lunch Break to Try the New Menu at No. 246

By: Jaimie Goss

One of the perks of working in Decatur is the abundance of terrific lunch options at nearby restaurants. The new menu at No. 246 was designed for all the office workers out there who want to take a break from tacos or a footlong sub, enjoy a midday meal and still have time to make it back to their desk on time. 

Most of the new menu items are around $10, so no need to break out the company credit card. Get the meal started with fried calamari with lemon, garlic knots or some crispy cheese for the table ($5-$9). Sandwiches include the eggplant or chicken Parm, sausage and peppers (pictured above), porchetta and the No. 246 burger ($8-$11). And while you aren't running a race, you are climbing the corporate ladder, so fuel up with pasta selections like the spaghetti and shrimp, wood-baked ziti and meatballs, agnolotti, carbonara and manicotti ($9-$14). To show your co-workers you're a team player, order pizzas like the salami, mushroom, Margherita or fattoria-style to share ($10-$16). Chopped, flatbread or house salads can be made for meat lovers as well ($9-$12). Finally, don't forget to add side dishes, like ceci peas, roasted beets, fries, Brussels sprouts, braised greens, fried polenta and crispy onions. Happy lunching! 

Let the Good Times Roll at Atkins Park Smyrna & RA Sushi Mardi Gras Festivities and More in This Week's Dish!

This month is full of celebrations! Get steamed, grilled and fried with the Atkins Park Tavern Smyrna Mardi Gras/Oyster Fest on February 8-12. Celebrate Fat Tuesday in style at RA Sushi's "Mardi RA" party February 12 and enjoy great food and drink specials. February is a happening month so don't miss out on all the fun festivities in this week's Dish!

Bantam + Biddy Provides a Great Reason to Dine Out on Mondays

Not in the mood to cook dinner on Monday nights? Then add Bantam + Biddy's Monday charity nights to your dining rotation. Shaun Doty and Lance Gummere make Monday night dinners a meaningful time by passing on 10 percent of the restaurant's profits after 5 p.m. to area charities. On February 11, Piedmont Park Conservancy benefits from your meal out, and on February 18, Autism Speaks brings home the golden egg of donations.

Forget Chocolates – It’s a Meat Market This Valentine’s Day with White Oak Pastures’ Online Sale

What will it be – tacos, savory shepherd’s pie, butter herbed steak? Those are just a few of the ideas that we managed to cook up at home for meals together after the last awesome White Oak Pastures online sale!

Now just in time for Valentine’s Day, they’re back with some better-for-you grass-fed beef and pastured poultry specials that will perfect your Valentine’s Day menu! Hurry and order before the afternoon of February 6 to take advantage of these great prices. Who needs chocolate when a candle-lit home-cooked meal is waiting?

Appetizing Aperture

   

This week, Decatur's own No. 246 is providing a visual slice of the new weekend brunch menu tempters ($4-$15). Not pictured (too much stimuli): ricotta pancake with orange blossom syrup and toasted pistachios, blue cheese cheesecake and toasted brioche, the daily quiche and greens, the house-made granola with yogurt, balsamic and honeyed fruit or the layered torte. The Decatur restaurant launches its new lunch menu this week as well ($4-$16). Lunch includes items for sharing, pastas, sandwiches, pizzas and salads such as: garlic knots, wood-baked ziti and meatballs, Italian hero, margherita pizza and house salad. Are you craving Italian now?

What's new on Pinterest: Better Breakfasts

   

Better Breakfasts help you "rise up" and seize the day. Our Pinterest board  is full of grab-n-go breakfast recipes for those mornings you're on the run, or tasty brunch recipes for those lazy weekend mornings. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and with these delicious recipes you sure won't want to skip it!

Eat It and Tweep: Atlanta Tastemaker Tweets Food, Fashion and More

 

 

Andrea Janise (@ATLfoodwriter), lifestyle editor for digital Atlanta Tastemaker magazine, loves food. She stays up on what's in, on and happening in the ATL food scene. Jump over to her Twitter side to follow her passions for craft beer, food and people.

Sample Tweet: "@ATLBeerWeek: Looks like your Hopslam fix arrives this week Atlanta...." Word!

The Other Big Game: Rugby at Fadó

  

Yeah, yeah, there's a big game this weekend. But for rugby fanatics, it's also the start of the Six Nations Championship. England, France, Italy, Scotland, Wales and Ireland all have stakes in this northern hemisphere rugby union. Watch the games at Fadó Irish Pub & Restaurant in Buckhead, February 2-March 16. Find a fellowship of fans at the bar downing ales and stouts or fortifying themselves with traditional pub fare, all the while cheering the awesome views on multiple screens. Check out the tournament schedule online. Not into rugby? Maybe it's time to check it out!

Give Atlanta Restaurants a Ring for the Perfect Valentine’s Day Engagement

Preparing to pop the question? Atlanta restaurants are always engaging whether it be "Will you be mine?" or "Where would you love to eat?" Look for prix fixe Valentine's Day menus and plenty of parties and minglers for singles.

Color Valentine's Day Aqua blue in Roswell, where guests will enjoy a three-course prix fixe menu with items such as New England-style clam chowder, "stuffed" twin lobster tails and classic crème brûlée for dessert. $50 per person, not including tax or gratuity. Reservations: 770-643-8886.

Buckhead's Aria is a chic spot to get in the mood with a special Valentine’s Day four-course prix fixe menu for $90 per person. Beverage, tax and gratuity are not included. Reservations: 404-233-7673.

Celebrate Valentine's Day in Midtown at Communitas Hospitality restaurants Gilbert's Café & Bar and 10th & Piedmont. At Gilbert's, dinner begins with an appetizer taste of braised lamb shank rillettes followed by a soup or salad choice of smoked trout and sunchoke chowder or red apple and baby arugula salad. Entrée options are collette steak skewer, diver scallops or wild mushroom purses. Pink champagne cake is offered for dessert. 10th & Piedmont starts with a trio of small bites including beef tartar, zucchini ribbon roll and butter-poached lobster followed by soup or salad of smoked trout and sunchoke chowder and red apple and baby arugula salad. Entrées include house-made lobster rolls, beef medallions and wild mushroom purses, and ending with mini pink champagne cupcakes. 10th & Piedmont seatings are at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. $75 for two people, either restaurant. Credit card is required to hold reservation. For more information and to make a reservation at Gilbert's, call 404-872-8012, and for 10th & Piedmont, call 404-602-5510.

Swoon over The Valentine's Day menu at Ecco in Midtown. The regular menu will be joined by decadent specials: calamari ala plancha with pears, harissa and basil ($9); roasted quail with chorizo, farro verde and radish green salsa verde ($15); crispy black cod with young collards, hazelnuts, brown butter, capers and lemon ($27); and milk chocolate torte with blood orange coulis and spiced pecans ($9). Reservations: 404-347-9555.
 
Fun for the unattached awaits at the Nuts and Bolts Valentine's Party at Fadó Irish Pub & Restaurant on Saturday, February 9 beginning at 10 p.m. Gender dictates nut or bolt upon arrival at the Buckhead pub. Talk and twist with others to find your match -- all the while sipping on a pint from the pub's wide beer and ale selection. The Irish prix fixe menu is a hearty way to share February 14. From 5-10 p.m., $34.95 per person buys a shareable appetizer of cheese puffs or smoked salmon bites, a shareable dessert of either chocolate-dipped profiteroles or harvest bread pudding, and two of the following dishes: farmhouse salad, fish and chips or Gaelic steak boxty. Toast with the accompanying glass of prosecco, included. Reservations: 404-841-0066.

Passionate about pizza? Hearth Pizza Tavern is, and the Sandy Springs restaurant has some lovely pizza specials in mind for Friday, February 1 through Thursday, February 14. The "Stupid Cupid Pizza" loads up on white clam, artichoke, marinated tomato, red onion, lemon, Parmesan and toasted almonds; "Hot Lips" kisses up to mildly spicy fra diavolo sauce, hot Italian sausage, capicola, roasted peppers, onion, pickled chilies and Parmesan; a steak lover's pizza welcomes a meat lover's embrace. Dine in or take back to your love nest: 404-252-5378.

HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern preludes with a pre-Valentine chocolate and beer tasting February 6 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Executive Chef Brett Ring designs four courses of specially prepared chocolate food for tasting with four complementary beers: chocolate-dipped oranges with sea salt and Founder's Centennial IPA; chicken mole over crispy rice cakes with chocolate-dipped bacon paired with Stone Smoked Porter; white chocolate pudding with chocolate graham crackers and cherry compote with Boon Kriek "Cherry" Lambic beer; and ending with a flourless chocolate espresso torte with Bailey's whipped cream and fresh raspberries with Redd's Apple Ale. Space is limited, reservations required. 404-968-2288.

If bellies are love tanks, JCT. Kitchen & Bar in west Midtown is your Valentine's Day filling station, offering a four-course prix fixe menu on Thursday, February 14 for $60 per person. Start with a taste of house-cured lox followed by a starter of roasted local golden and red ace beets, crispy poached farm egg or pan-seared diver scallops. Mains include wood-grilled Muscovy duck breast, "chicken stand" fried young chicken and butter-poached Maine lobster. Share chocolate "PB" pie, white chocolate ice cream or champagne truffles for dessert. Guests may bring in a special wine of their own; $10 corkage fee per bottle. A 20 percent gratuity is applied to parties of six or more. Reservations: 404-355-2252.

Brookhaven-ites can stay close to home with someone special and enjoy the three-course Valentine's Day menu, $35 per person, at Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub. Not wanting to break any hearts, Kaleidoscope also is offering the regular menu. Reservations accepted, 404-474-9600.

In the heart of Virginia Highland, La Tavola Trattoria is preparing a three-course prix fixe Valentine's Day dinner for love birds. For $49 per person, guests choose from a variety of antipasti including braised rabbit crespelle, grilled calamari or beet and farro salad. Entrées include items such as braised lamb ragu, chestnut gnocchi, grilled swordfish and saltimbocca alla romana. Dreamy desserts include Meyer lemon-olive oil cake, chocolate cake and honey mascarpone cheesecake. Tax and gratuity are not included. Reservations: 404-873-5430.

Share the love with a box of cupcakes from Buckhead's Little Cake Bakery. Special holiday flavors include lemon lavender, passion fruit vanilla, chocolate-dipped strawberry and French kiss. To order cupcakes for that special someone or to treat yourself, call 404-841-8856.

For $55 per person, No. 246 in Decatur is offering a four-course prix fixe menu this Valentine's Day. Examples of entrée options include wood-oven-baked red snapper in cartuccio, butter-poached Maine lobster and braised Wagyu beef cheeks. Tax and gratuity are not included. Credit card required to hold a reservation; call 678-399-8246.

West Midtown's "oceanfront" restaurant, The Optimist, is offering a four-course prix fixe menu on February 14. Begin with a taste for the table of she-crab soup, followed by starter options such as east and west coast oysters, hearts of palm and beet salad or Spanish octopus. Entrée options include items such as white steelhead salmon, Georges Bank scallops or grilled duck breast. Three dessert options anchor the meal. $65 per person, not including tax or gratuity. Credit card required to hold a Valentine's Day reservation: 404-477-6260.

Bless their hearts with a Southern-style, three-course prix fixe Valentine's Day dinner for two at South City Kitchen Midtown and South City Kitchen Vinings for $42 per person. Get started with pimento cheese, fried green tomatoes or fried gulf oysters then move on to a choice of buttermilk fried chicken, braised short rib or vegetable plate. Choose velvet Elvis cake, caramel apple toffee pudding or buttermilk chess pie for the finale. Tax and gratuity are not included. Midtown reservations: 404-873-7358; Vinings reservations: 770-435-0700.

Why wait? Woodfire Grill and Georgia Shakespeare embrace Cupid's day on Monday, February 11 by hosting a "Fools for Love" wine dinner. Beginning at 7 p.m., new Executive Chef Tyler Williams is offering a four-course dinner with premium wine pairings selected by owner and sommelier Nicolas Quinones. Georgia Shakespeare's Associate Artists will provide the entertainment, performing jazz standards and love songs throughout the evening. Tickets are priced at $150 per person ($90 is tax deductible) and can be purchased online or by calling Georgia Shakespeare at 404-504-3405. On Valentine's Day, the restaurant is offering a five-course vegetarian menu for $85 per person and a five-course pescatarian menu or five-course chef's tasting menu for $100 per person. Wine pairings also are available for $12 per glass or $20 per glass for premium wines. Reservations required: 404-347-9055.

Bundle up at Ecco's Roasted & Toasted Event on February 5

Although Georgia weather is unpredictable, this forecast is for sure. Celebrate the wintry season by bundling up on the patio at Ecco for Roasted & Toasted on Tuesday, February 5. From 7:30-9:30 p.m., Ecco's patio becomes a fireside chat room for Swiss misses and lederhosen lads, complete with a cozy fire, warm mulled wine, brandied hot cider, spiked hot cocoa and house-made s'mores. Only $25 per person, Ecco will also extend a 15 percent discount on dinner to guests who dine there before or after. So, put on your parka, gloves, and boots, as this winter event is so cool it may bring snow flurries! Seating is limited so call 404-347-9555 to book your reservation today.  

Dine at JCT. Kitchen & Bar, No. 246 or The Optimist on Feb.9 to Benefit Team Hidi

On Saturday, February 9, JCT. Kitchen & Bar, No. 246 and The Optimist are hosting a Ryan Hidinger Benefit. That night, 5 percent of dinner service profits will be donated to Team Hidi to help cover medical expenses. 

The restaurants are unified in their quest to help one of Atlanta's own chefs, Ryan Hidinger, fight stage 4 gallbladder cancer. Ryan and wife Jen, both of Staplehouse, are grateful for the support they've received from all across the country. 

Read more about Team Hidi here.

Atkins Park in Virginia-Highland Offers Special Monday Night Brewing Pairings This Thursday

  

To welcome Atlanta's newest brewery Monday Night Brewing to the local beer scene, Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland is offering a special menu pairing on Thursday, January 31. Chef Andrew Smith has created dishes to perfectly complement the craft beers. Dishes and recommended pairings include:

• Caramelized onion risotto with blue cheese and onion jam ($8), Eye Patch Ale ($5.50)
• Roasted lobster roll served on a brioche bun with ginger aioli and root vegetable chips ($14), Fu Manbrew Belgian-Style Wit ($5.50)
• Cherry wood smoked venison loin with a chocolate demi-glace served with creamy Yukon Gold potatoes and garlic green beans ($22), Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale ($5.50)

From 5:30 - 11 p.m., feel free to order a la carte or enjoy all three dishes for $40 per person, plus beer selection. Already have dinner plans? The restaurant is also offering flights of 5-ounce pours of the Eye Patch Ale, Fu Manbrew Belgian-Style Wit and Drafty Kilt Scotch Ale for $6. Cheers to that!

Embrace ATL Restaurants for Valentine's Day Menus and Events

This weekend marks America's favorite Sunday, Super Bowl Sunday! Atlanta restaurants are right there with 50-yard-line views and menus packing winning fare to eat in their bowl or yours. After the Super Bowl, feel the love in Atlanta and make your plans for Valentine's Day. Whether you're spending Valentine's Day with a loved one, friends or you're looking to mingle, Atlanta has got your covered. Don't miss the Atlanta happenings in this week's Dish!