Warm Weather Quick Picks at Atlanta Eateries

Good riddance outerwear, hello tank tops and Top-Siders. Atlanta restaurants hear your roar, and they’re ready with tall cocktails and summery fare. Here’s a punch list of some newbies:
  Article 14 in Midtown has an invigorating melon cooler featuring Double Cross vodka, watermelon, lime and a red pepper flake ($12).
  The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill offers beach-house seafood favorites such as lobster egg rolls with mango sweet chili sauce; a house-made, quarter-pound crab and shrimp burger; Coca-Cola BBQ grilled salmon topped with house-made barbecue sauce; and a Buffalo fried shrimp po’boy ($9.95-$20.95).
  FLIP burger boutique adds a shrimp po-boyger, a fried shrimp patty served with shredded lettuce, tomato, pickleback slaw and spicy rémoulade ($12.50). (Not available at Poncey-Highlands.)
  Marlow’s Tavern boasts a tasty trifecta -- a warm Brie fondue starter consisting of melting Brie, Swiss, mascarpone, Chardonnay and buttery ciabatta ($8) and a grilled turkey burger featuring Golden Legacy Farms turkey ($9.50) or crisp red snapper with udon noodles, Thai basil and miso soy broth ($17.50) as entrées.
  Ray’s Restaurants (Ray’s in the City, Ray’s on the River and Ray’s at Killer Creek) are places to lunch on lobster, as in the luscious lobster cobb salad or the lobster roll featuring Maine lobster salad ($19 each).
  SkyLounge atop the Glenn Hotel serves an intoxicating duo of a skyline view and their basil lemon margarita made with tequila, agave syrup, fresh basil leaves, lemon and salt ($8).
Umi in Buckhead adds another reason to claim status as Atlanta’s best sushi restaurant with madai carpaccio -- Japanese red snapper carpaccio, sea salt, lemon, olive oil and yuzu kosho ($15).

Catch German Meatballs and Paprikaschnitzel at Der Biergarten Before May Rolls into June

Atlanta Braves baseball grabs sports page headlines, but in our books, classic German meatballs at Der Biergarten deserve some of the home-plate glory. One of May’s menu specials, the beefy orbs served with mushroom dill sauce over mashed potatoes ($7) are especially “wunderbar” joined by beer-of-the-month Konig Ludwig Dunkel ($9/liter). Schnitzel-of-the-month paprikaschnitzel is another May special to snatch while you can. The lightly breaded pork wears a blanket of cooling sour cream sauce made with Hungarian paprika and bell peppers ($23). House-made pickles at a dollar a pop are a crisp May munchie.

Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails Throws a Farmyard Chowdown on June 7

Oysters, fried chicken, Low Country boil, garden-fresh veggies and all the accoutrements befitting a Farmyard Chowdown are in store for dinner guests at Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails on Sunday, June 7 from 5-8 p.m. The “farm” is a lot closer to town than you’d think. Executive chef Derek Dollar gleans his goodies right off Milton’s Acre in the backyard of the historic Crabapple restaurant. Live music and lawn games entertain farm hands of all ages. There’ll be no “cussin’,” but finger licking is allowed! $35 per person (excluding tax, gratuity and alcoholic beverages); buy tickets online. Those beach bound and out of town on June 7 can look ahead to upcoming Farmyard Chowdowns on August 16 and September 13. More info: 770-817-0161.

"Soul Train" Stops at MAX’s Wine Dive for Saturday Brunches in May

There’s a seat for you in the dining car with the likes of fried chicken and champagne when a “Soul Train”-themed brunch chugs through MAX’s Wine Dive in Midtown on Saturdays in May. The show “Soul Train” ran from 1971 through 2006, giving MAX’s Wine Dive plenty of footage to roll along with executive chef Patric Bell-Good’s themed brunch menu of comfort foods, plus $5 Bellinis and $3 mimosas, served by the glass. Wanna jump on? Pull in Saturdays from 11 a.m. -
4 p.m. In months with five Saturdays, the last Saturday (#5) pulls a well-planned wild card theme (e.g., a New Orleans Big Easy brunch). Menus, specials and prices vary weekly. MAX’s traditional brunch menu will be available, and the regular brunch menu also is available on Sundays from
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Call 404-249-0445 for information and reservations or make reservations online. Themes to come: The Breakfast Club in June and Tex-MAX in July. 

Join RA Sushi for 11th Annual Nicky’s Week Fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, May 25-31

Thanks to community support and fundraisers like Nicky’s Week at RA Sushi Bar Restaurant, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is able to help children live -- without billing their families. During RA Sushi’s largest annual fundraiser, 100 percent of Nicky’s Week menu profits go to St. Jude. The math adds up: since inception and counting all 26 locations nationwide, more than $1.5 million has gone toward the hospital’s lifesaving mission. This year, the Midtown restaurant will offer the Nicky’s Week menu Monday, May 25 through Sunday, May 31. Order favorites such as edamame, Tootsy maki, shrimp nigiri, pork gyoza, sesame garlic chicken, garlic citrus yellowtail, plus a variety of select beverages. Nicholas “Nicky” Mailliard, St. Jude patient and nephew of one of RA Sushi’s founders, lost a long battle with brain cancer in 2005 at age 13. His courage and spirit won the hearts of RA Sushi associates and led to the Nicky’s Week legacy, a big “RAh” for aiding children battling cancer and other life-threatening diseases at St. Jude.

Come Out of Your Shell for $1 Oysters at Aqua blue

Leave the shuckin’ to Aqua blue. The Roswell restaurant known for its global cuisine, deliciously prepared seafood and sushi is sliding an oyster promotion onto the menu.  Through May 31, diners can purchase raw oysters for just $1 each – all day, every day.  Shell out for the oysters and stay on for lunch Monday through Friday and dinner beginning at 4 p.m. seven nights a week. 

New Dishes and Cocktails, Half-Priced Appetizers are Drawing Attention at 10th & Piedmont and G’s Midtown

Mama would admonish us for talking with our mouths full, so here’s the short version on specials and what’s new menu- and mixology-wise in Midtown at 10^th & Piedmont and G’s Midtown.

Friends are pulling chairs to tables at 10^th & Piedmont for executive chef Javier Viera’s new shareables such as Galician octopus with creamy mashed potatoes ($15) or shrimp cocktail featuring Gulf white shrimp and sweet and tangy homemade peach cocktail sauce ($18). Javi’s fried oysters with avocado mousse and micro greens ($13), Sunday supper chicken ($16) and Cajun crawfish and andouille sausage on grit cakes ($17) opt in as new entrées. Of course, Viera’s celebrity status chicken and waffles are among returning favorites! At G’s Midtown, enjoy seasonal swaps such as house-smoked salmon flatbread ($11), Caribbean shark tacos ($9) and kale succotash salad ($9).

Select appetizer prices dive to half price on the G’s Midtown “Happy Hour” menu available Monday through Friday from 5-7 p.m. For example, pimento chicken flatbread is $5 instead of $10. Bottom-line price on a few more options: 10P salad, Caribbean shark tacos, seasonal phyllo bites or smoked turkey melt are $4.50 each; G’s pimento bacon cheeseburger with fried jalapeños is $5.50; lamb sliders are $6.50; summer squash ravioli comes in at $7.50; and jerk mahi mahi will set you back $9.

Craft cocktails and martinis at 10th & Piedmont are as precocious as their names suggest: Shootin’ the Hooch, Peach Blossom, Man’s Man, Off to the Races, The Goddess, Midtown Garden, Southern Belle, Driven’ Ms. Daisy, Effin’ Avocado and the Metro Manhattan ($10-$11). Want Mo’? Mojitos hint of raspberries, mango, pineapple, coconut, guava or the classic regular ($8). Stargazers will light up over the 12 zodiac cocktails, $10 each, at G’s Midtown. 

FLIP burger boutique and Red Brick Brewing Launch FL-IPA Beer on May 22

FLIP out over FL-IPA, the new house beer brewed for FLIP burger boutique by Red Brick Brewing Company. FLIP burger and the Atlanta craft brewery are buddying up to launch the easy drinking IPA on Friday, May 22 from 5-7 p.m. at the FLIP burger Howell Mill Road location. Come on over and order the special $12 pairing of a pint of the namesake beer and a signature FLIP burger decked out with bibb lettuce, pickled onions, sliced tomato, FL-IPA ketchup, FLIP sauce, B+B pickles and FL-IPA battered onion straws. Guests ordering a pint of FL-IPA will receive a Red Brick pint glass as a souvenir, and those completing an entry form will have the chance to win the grand prize of a Red Brick Brewery tour and dinner for two at FLIP. Red Brick Brewing reps will be on hand with giveaways (supplies limited). FL-IPA, a Session IPA (4.5% ABV) loaded with juicy tropical hop flavors, will be available at all FLIP burger locations.

Atlanta Restaurants Honor Memorial Day Weekend with Star-Spangled Specials May 22-25

Travels, festivals, memorial celebrations -- Atlanta restaurants post hours to accommodate your Memorial Day weekend plans.

Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland stays open late on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend (past midnight) and will serve lunch and dinner during regular hours on Monday.

All Bantam + Biddy locations will be open over the holiday weekend with all-natural poultry and regional fare -- can’t get more American than this!

Casual Chick-a-Biddy in Atlantic Station will be open as usual for weekend brunch plus lunch and dinner on all three days of the holiday weekend.

HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern will open at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, doing their duty to serve their regular lunch menu and tossing in a few brunchy items to boot.

Stop by Kabob Land for pita and hummus, tabouli salad or wraps and plates bearing slow-roasted lamb, shawarma (gyro) and charbroiled meat, chicken, veggie or salmon kabobs. Dine in or order and go to be a holiday picnic hero. The Buckhead eatery honors regular hours across the weekend.

Ormsby’s on Atlanta’s Westside keeps Sunday’s party rolling past the usual midnight hour until 3 a.m. Monday morning, then stays opens as usual on Monday from 11:30 a.m.-3 a.m.

RA Sushi Bar Restaurant in Midtown fires up its Nicky’s Week fundraiser on Memorial Day Monday and keeps the special menu rolling through May 31. Regular hours prevail throughout the weekend.

On Memorial Day, all three Ray’s Restaurants -- Ray’s in the City, Ray’s on the River and Ray’s at Killer Creek -- will be open from noon until 9 p.m. and will offer double points for all Dining Club members. Additionally, active duty military and veterans -- and one guest -- will receive a 20 percent discount at all three Ray’s Restaurants on Monday, May 25.

Brunch spreads over all three days of the holiday weekend at 10th & Piedmont. The Midtown restaurant will extend its Saturday-Sunday brunch menu to Memorial Day and will open early at 10 a.m. to welcome Monday brunchers.

Willy’s Mexicana Grill locations will be open over the weekend with the exception of Willy’s in Peachtree Center, AT&T Center, AT&T Lindbergh and at Georgia State. Take Willy’s wrapped-to-order burritos along on your weekend adventures.

Fun Indian Street Food and a Mumbai Mule Await at Masti

Ricky Walia, chef/owner of new Masti in Toco Hills Promenade, ate his way through the streets of Mumbai, New Delhi, Punjab and Nepal, all in the name of research, of course. The result is Masti, Hindi for “fun.” The casual spot for South Indian street food and favorites like butter chicken tacos, Nepalese momo steamed dumplings, paneer bhurji in toasted hot dog buns, a.k.a. “Paneer Dogs,” fish wraps in roti, spiced keema burgers of beef and veal with Masti sauce and fries, and Masti masala pasta topped with rogan josh, tikka masala or Alfredo korma sauce ($8.99-$12.99). Order a traditional, family style thali to taste a variety of Indian dishes, available for lunch ($9.99) and dinner ($14.99). Eliciting grins: cocktails such as the Masti Girl, Mumbai Mule and Ghandi Gimlet as well as craft beer and wines; and sharing Masti Queen, spiced chai and other hookah flavors with friends in the patio hookah bar ($19). Lunch and dinner, seven days a week. Keen korma karma, found. Information: 470-236-2784.

What’s New on Pinterest? Bacon!

Is bacon your beacon? Follow our smoked and cured link to Pass the Bacon, where the crispy strips work their way into every meal. Wrapped cheddar egg bites and maple bourbon bacon jam (smear on your favorite biscuits) squeal “Good morning!” Bacon Parmesan gougeres (cheese puffs) and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus disappear from the appetizer tray. Bacon Brussels sprouts, bacon and potato “roses” and bacon-brown sugar pork tenderloin hog the dinner plate. Addictive personalities, whip up candied bacon chocolate chip cookies and maple caramel bacon crack for dessert -- if you dare. The bacon fat candle is good to the last dripping.

Appetizing Aperture

When your appetite is as big as all outdoors, ride herd toward the closest FLIP burger boutique and fold your hands around the Big Bison Burger. FLIP’s May burger-of-the-month hoists a half-pound bison patty on an ample bun and blankets it with lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, crispy bacon, a fried egg and FLIP’s signature sauce. Fries squeeze onto the plate to dip into smoked mayo and ketchup. May’s burger with fries, $17. Available at all FLIP locations through May 31.

Wines Come in All the Right Shades for Summer at Max’s Wine Dive May 20

Checked your weather app today? Hotter days are on the horizon. Sunshine feels spectacular after a cold winter, but then there’s that wine quandary. Chilled white? Cool rosé? Reds that work overtime in the summer without leaving your tongue feeling sunburned? The Summer Wine Tasting at Max’s Wine Dive in Midtown answers these questions and more over tastings of five summer-friendly wines paired with chef Patric Bell’s light bites and featured appetizers. Slide over to your calendar app and set the date: May 20 from 7-9 p.m. $30 per person (excluding tax and gratuity). Reservations are required for this congenial event with family style seating; call 404-249-0445.

Annual Warren Bruno Summerfest Celebration Bike Ride June 7

Get pumped! The Atkins Park Riders and Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland are setting wheels in motion for this year’s Warren Bruno Summerfest Celebration Ride and fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Societyon Sunday, June 7. Warren Bruno owned the flagship Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland and later opened Ormsby’s on Atlanta’s Westside. Bruno lived life with gusto, even during his eight-year battle against the cancer that eventually took his life in 2012. An avid cyclist, Bruno loved biking through his neighborhood and helped found Virginia-Highland Summerfest to share his love for “Va-Hi.” Each June, bicyclists saddle up to ride along some of his favorite streets and paths in New Highland Park, Little Five Points, the Old Fourth Ward, Piedmont Park, Ansley Park and along the Atlanta BeltLine. Summerfest, with its artist market, music, food and refreshments, waits at the end of the ride. The family friendly ride is organized for three cycling skill levels. Ride begins at 8:30 a.m. at the corner of North Highland and St. Charles avenues. BYOB -- as in bike, bottle for water and bike helmet. Sign up ($5 children under 18 years, $20 adults) before June 6 or make a donation online. All proceeds benefit Atkins Park Cycling Team as they raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in Bruno’s honor.

Hole up at Atkins Park Virginia-Highland for Leukemia & Lymphoma Cornhole Tournament May 17

If you’re tossing ideas around over what to do on Sunday afternoon, the cornhole tournament at Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland wins, hands down. Bags will fly on the patio from 2-5 p.m. on May 17. Buddy up and form a two-person team to join the fun. The $30 per person ($60 per two-person team) entry fee includes your first pint of Monday Night Brewing Company beer and two raffle tickets for an onslaught of raffles throughout the afternoon. Loosen up with discounted Monday Night Brewing beers. Even better, 100 percent of proceeds benefit the Georgia Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Team in Training. Stretch those fingers over your mouse or screen and register online in advance. By the way, cornhole cadre, now is the time to register for Cornhole ATL’s summer leagues that compete Tuesday nights at Atkins Park in Virginia-Highland. 

Gunshow's Joey Ward Takes Over The Local Palate's Instagram! #TLP2DayTakeover

The Local Palate on Instagram appe-teases food voyeurs to dig further into the Southern scene at the album’s sister website and magazine. What will happen when Gunshow executive chef Joey Ward barrels into Instagram for a #TLP2DayTakeover” on May 15-16? In non-tech terms, that means Ward will take over the Instagram account and post an inside look into his Southern culinary world at Gunshow. Cheers -- it’s a friendly conquest.

Give Back and Support The Drake House at Bantam + Biddy Avalon May 18

Fried chicken is one of those feel-good Southern foods, especially when chomping into crispy-tender pieces of regionally raised poultry generates multiple rewards, i.e. your personal comfort food tank and assisting homeless families move toward more stable lives. Give Back Night at Bantam + Biddy Avalon on Monday, May 18 is such an occasion. After 5 p.m. that evening, 10 percent of all proceeds move on to The Drake House. This North Fulton County nonprofit helps homeless mothers and their children work toward self-sufficiency through short-term crisis housing, education and empowerment programs. Fried chicken is just the start. Bantam + Biddy offers rotisserie chicken, pork loin, pork schnitzel, sautéed Maine salmon, Southern Breakfast All Day, salads, sandwiches and snacks such as pimento cheese, crispy wings and Jb Farm deviled eggs. Browse the complete menu here.

All Abuzz about White Oak Pastures Beginner’s Beekeeping Workshop on May 16

Those bumbling around, interested in beekeeping but not sure where to begin, will find a sweet Saturday awaits them at White Oak Pastures. The family owned, organic farm is leading a Beginner’s Beekeeping Workshop on May 16. Pull into the Bluffton, Georgia farm at 10 a.m. for a tour of the farm (optional). A noon lunch in the Pavilion officially opens the workshop, followed by an introduction to honeybees, apiology and colony organization, tools of the trade, managing hive pests naturally, colony collapse disorder and Q & A time. Inspect an open hive, weather permitting. No hives of your own? No problem. It’s still a golden opportunity to learn how to make your own honey and create bee-friendly environments to keep the world buzzing with these important food chain pollinators. Limited to 25 participants; $65 per person. Call 229-641-2081 for information or reservations. Reservations also may be made online. 

FLIP burger and Atkins Park Reign at A Taste of the Highlands May 16

A Taste of the Highlands will be one mammoth, mouthwatering walk in the park; that’s John Howell Park in Virginia-Highland, on Saturday, May 16 from 2-5 p.m. FLIP burger boutique and Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar are two of more than 30 restaurants claiming spaces and doling out tastes of popular dishes at the 13th annual food fest. Music to munch by comes courtesy of Sweet Auburn Swing Band and Jambodia. All proceeds go to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The nonprofit hospital system marks 100 years of aiding children in 2015. General admission tickets are $50 each and include entry and your fill of food and drinks.

Article 14 Monthly Cheese Dinner Features Many Fold Farm Sheep Milk Cheeses May 13

Around 200 sheep and 800 chickens cavort on Many Fold Farm, situated in the Chattahoochee Hill Country about an hour southwest of Article 14. (View a daily dose of cute on the Many Fold LambCam.) Many Fold owners Ross and Rebecca ventured to Vermont to soak up knowledge and scale the cheesemaking learning curve before raising ewes to milk for their own farmstead cheeses -- cheeses that have been mentioned in Garden & Gun magazine. For anyone who’s had the wool pulled over their eyes into thinking all cheese comes via cow or goat, this month’s cheese dinner at Article 14 lends a ewe-some chance to sample Many Fold’s organic sheep milk cheeses as part of a four-course dinner with wine pairings. Gather up some bits of wisdom from an American Cheese Society speaker during the evening. $45 per person (not including tax or gratuity). Make reservations online or call 404-443-8432.

Max’s Wine Dive Monday’s a Drag Campy Viewing Parties Turn Mondays into Fun-days

Does anyone ever say, “Sure wish there were more hours to enjoy Monday?” Precisely. Monday tends to drag on the heels of its boisterous weekend siblings. Max’s Wine Dive, the Midtown restaurant and wine bar that pairs casual foods and fine wines, is out to drag the mundane weekday down a different path by teaming up with Atlanta’s best drag queens for “Monday’s a Drag” viewing parties featuring a classic drag movie or TV show each Monday from 6-10 p.m. Campy food and drink specials, such as $8 mixed berry sangria, $5 hibiscus Bellinis or $5 glasses of wine, will vary weekly and always raise spirits. Chef Patric Bell baked pink champagne cupcakes for the first “Monday’s a Drag” party -- who knows what delicacies he’ll “drag” out next. During the 6-10 p.m. timeframe, 10 percent of all food and drink sales will go to Lost-n-Found Youth, Atlanta’s only nonprofit organization dedicated to taking homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth off the streets and placing them into more permanent housing. Lost-n-Found Youth advocates and serves youth from 13-25 years of age. Stay tuned for what’s on the screen and more on Facebook or at #MondaysADrag. Save a seat on Max’s reservation page or by calling 404-249-0445.

Smokebelly BBQ and Red Brick Brewing Company Craft ‘Cue and Brew Dinner May 12

‘Cue and brew. Have two rhyming words ever been so delightfully compatible? Smokebelly BBQ and Atlanta’s own Red Brick Brewing Company join forces for a harmonious evening of chef-crafted barbecue and craft beers at the Buckhead barbecue joint on Tuesday, May 12 at 7 p.m. Smokebelly chef Nagib Sued and Red Brick lead brewer Steve Anderson navigate attendees through five courses and five Red Brick beer pairings. Plans are to tap into a special cask created specifically for this event! Seats are $50 each and are available to purchase online. 

What’s New on Pinterest

Our Bite-Size Bonanza board is mighty with many, mini recipes perfectly portioned to pick up and go, no drips, slips or launching off paper plates and onto pristine white jeans. Hand egg and cheese mini muffins to toddlers and find adult brunch bites among mini-breakfast ideas. Meatball sub cupcakes, mini brie en croute, zucchini pizza bites and low-carb/gluten-free bacon guacamole cups pack some protein while baked s’mores, pineapple upside-down cupcakes and three-bite chocolate French silk pies fashion neat little sweets. 

#Foodgram

Bill Addison, Eater’s restaurant editor and roving food critic, calls Atlanta home base, which bodes well for all of our locals looking for good eats in Atlanta, Decatur and Duluth as well as those traveling to NYC, San Fran and Santa Fe.

Appetizing Aperture

How does your garden grow? At Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails in historic Crabapple, the backdoor Milton’s Acre garden grows some of the makings for the chef’s vegetable plate ($21), newly sprouted on the spring menu. Pick this veritable rainbow of colorful veggies -- garden vegetable and almond quinoa, grilled asparagus, garlic wax beans, pickled beets, summer squash casserole and sunflower pesto. Then, call mom, tell her you love her and confirm you are eating your vegetables. 

Basque in the Sun, Sangria in Hand, Every Sunday at Gypsy Kitchen

In Spain, no one says, “Paddle faster, I hear flamenco guitar music.” The mesmerizing notes of the flamenco guitarist invite listeners to hang out and appreciate the moment and the music. To, as they say at Gypsy Kitchen, Basque in the Sun. Totally doable. Come “Basque in the Sun” every Sunday between 5-8 p.m. on Gypsy Kitchen’s new, open-air patio overlooking Buckhead Atlanta. Sip a few glasses of tinto de verano, the “red wine of summer” spritzer adored by locals in Spain’s Southern regions and along the Costa del Sol, only $4 each. Tip back heady, fruity sangria at $5 a glass. Select dishes are half off; go ahead and order several plates for the table to share -- it’s the Iberian way. And, there really is a flamenco guitarist strumming away in the background. Olé! 

Nikolai’s Roof, Ray’s in the City and Trader Vic’s Beef Up Downtown Steak Week

Seafood and veggie lovers take heart, Downtown Steak Week woos you, too, as restaurants showcase tantalizing specialties from Delmonico ribeye to diver scallops, yellow fin tuna steak to cowboy sushi rolls and lamb chops to lasagna. Presented by Central Atlanta Progress and Creative Loafing, this meaty occasion returns for its second year over the week of Monday, May 11 through Sunday, May 17. Downtown Atlanta is a tasty destination whether you come by foot, car, streetcar, MARTA...or elevator up to the top of the Hilton Atlanta to feast eyes on the special menu at Nikolai’s Roof and the spectacular view. Chef Stephanie Alderete combs land and sea for her Downtown Steak Week menu featuring starters such as braised short rib piroshki ($12), Brussels sprout salad ($13) and caviar ($95-$145); first-course options like jumbo lump crab terrine ($13), diver scallop ($14), red beet and beef borscht consommé ($12) or beef carpaccio with olive beignets ($14); and seared beef tenderloin with duck bacon ($36), sautéed tilefish with shrimp confit ($32), roasted Magret duck breast ($36) and oven-roasted lamb chops ($39) among the entrées. Conclude the divine meal with local and global artisanal cheeses ($18 for three) and sweets such as blackberry crème brûlée ($12) and chocolate soufflé with espresso crème fraîche ($16). Order à la carte or choose the Chef’s Menu with three ($61), four ($71) or six ($91) courses. Make reservations online.

Ray’s in the City stakes a share in lunch and dinner plans with steak and seafood specialties including a featured lobster-stuffed filet ($30), Delmonico ribeye ($39), seven-ounce filet (à la carte, $29), steak frites ($20) or yellow fin tuna steak ($32). Round up special cowboy sushi rolls of steak, asparagus, crab meat and cream cheese ($15), available for weekday lunch only. Make lunch or dinner reservations online.

Trader Vic’s Atlanta in the Hilton Atlanta dashes Pacific Rim karma over its Steak Week dinner features of smoked oven New York strip steak with wok garlic green beans, scallop potatoes and red wine sauce ($30) and stir-fried filet de boeuf uniting beef tenderloin, sugar peas, carrots and steamed jasmine rice ($28). Make reservations online. 

Bantam + Biddy Avalon Hosts Foster Care Support Benefit Night May 11

Bantam + Biddy co-owners Shaun Doty and Lance Gummere have soft spots for children and keep tabs on ways to reach out and help where needed. Here’s a way we can all step up to the plate to aid Georgia foster families. Monday, May 11 is Foster Care Support Foundation (FCSF) benefit night at the Bantam + Biddy Avalon location. Ten percent of restaurant sales after 5 p.m. will go to support children through FCSF. Each year, the non-profit serves an average of 3,000 foster children all over Georgia, working to chisel away some of the expenses families incur. Without receiving government funding, FCSF assists foster parents and grandparents by supplying equipment such as cribs and car seats for infants, providing clothing for preemies through college-age young adults, holding Promapalooza each February where foster teen girls can select prom attire, and leading free classes to help foster parents better care for neglected or abused children. 

Chick-a-Biddy Runs $15 Special during Atlantic Station Restaurant Week May 12-17

Count Chick-a-Biddy in the mix of 10 restaurants offering prix fixe menus during Atlantic Station Restaurant Week, Saturday, May 9 through Sunday, May 17. The easy-going eatery cracks open a three-course lunch and dinner menu priced at $15 per person (excludes alcohol, gratuity and tax). Choose pimento cheese with veggies and crackers or homestyle chili with sour cream and cheddar as an appetizer; one quarter chicken grilled (piri piri or jerk) or fried (Buffalo or mild) with a choice of two sides as an entrée; and homemade carrot cake or Key lime cheesecake for dessert. During Atlantic Station Restaurant Week and throughout May, Chick-a-Biddy will donate 20 percent of prix fixe meal sales to the Southeastern Brain Tumor Foundation. 

Bring the Whole Brood to Bantam + Biddy Spring Festival at Ansley Mall May 9

Go outside and play at the Bantam + Biddy Spring Festival at Ansley Mall on Saturday, May 9. On this Mother’s Day weekend, the casual eatery featuring regional, all-natural and pastured poultry fills the 11 a.m.-2 p.m. midday slot with family friendly festivities, live music, local vendors, a lemonade stand and a Mom’s Day card crafting table for children (adults, you should have your cards in the mail by now). Buy some steamy Bantam + Biddy chicken tamales and King of Pops popsicles if hunger pangs strike. Additionally, Jb Farm Fresh Eggs will be selling its grain-free, free-range chicken eggs and will bring baby goats for youngsters to pet. Grownups, check out The Cook’s Warehouse Big Green Egg cooking demonstration. To partake, steer your flock to the courtyard between Bantam + Biddy and Starbucks.

Cowabunga! Retro in the Metro Rocks 80s, 90s, 2ks at 10th & Piedmont May 9

Back in the day, progressive radio stations aired REM and the Romantics (classic rock today) and categorized Duran Duran as “New Wave.” The Macarena led 90s line dances right into the hands of the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the 2ks (2000s). Vivid memories or Valley Girl and Guy wannabes, Retro in the Metro at 10th & Piedmont plays your songs -- and videos -- on Saturday, May 9. DJ/VJ Nando orchestrates interactive music video mixes hitting everything from salsa to Depeche Mode beginning at 9 p.m. Craft cocktails are the refreshment of choice at this righteous rendezvous with decades past. Free admission. 

Corner Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails at Taste of Alpharetta May 7

Stand up for a street food supper this Thursday night. It’s time for the 25th annual Taste of Alpharetta, turning historic downtown Alpharetta into one gigantic, awesome appetizer on May 7 from 5-10 p.m. If you haven’t yet dined at Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails, here’s an opportunity to fork into appe-teasers of their seed-to-fork cuisine. Admission is free. Buy tasting tickets for 50 cents each (most samples are $1-$3 each) and relish in tastes of appetizers, entrées and desserts from top area restaurants. More to do than chew: watch culinary competitions pitting chef against chef, cast your vote for the People’s Choice award, party with Atlanta radio stations, jump into activities for all ages and tune in to harmonic rock, folk and R&B bands on stage throughout the evening. 

Share Our Strength Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry Fills Tanks at Georgia Aquarium May 7

The Georgia Aquarium aquatic tanks are full, and the fish are well fed. The issue is filling the tummy tanks of hungry children across the U.S. with nourishing food -- the ultimate goal of Share Our Strength’s Atlanta Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry on Thursday, May 7. While guests in the Georgia Aquarium Oceans Ballroom are there to help raise funds for this mission, they’ll be able to sample their fill of signature dishes and drinks prepared by 50 of Atlanta’s top chefs and mixologists including those from Aria, Marlow’s Tavern, Ray’s Restaurants, Seed Kitchen & Bar, Stem Wine Bar and Umi, and they’ll enjoy more than a splash of fine wines from around the world. Great “see” life as well: looking at life through the ballroom’s huge water window, absorbing live music vibes, and auction bidding on wines, world-class trips, dining and culinary experiences and other luxury items. Event honorary chair is Dr. Sanjay Gupta, neurosurgeon and CNN chief medical correspondent. Buy tickets online: VIP is $350, for 6-10 p.m. admission; General is $250 person, for 7-10 p.m. admission. Attendees must be 21 years or older.

Save Seats Alert: Two “Hired Guns” Chefs from Portland, Oregon Attack Gunshow May 26-27

Gunshow chef Kevin Gillespie shares his Glenwood Park restaurant’s kitchen with Greg Denton and Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton, chefs and co-owners of the renowned Portland, Oregon restaurant Ox, on Tuesday, May 26 and Wednesday, May 27. The two chefs are visiting Gunshow as part of Gillespie’s “Hired Guns” guest chef series that brings top talent from across the U.S. to the nationally acclaimed restaurant. The Dentons come armed with the arsenal of inventive fare that catapulted them on Food & Wine’s list of the Best New Chefs for 2014 and earned finalist spots for the James Beard Foundation's 2015 Best Chef Northwest recognition. Gunshow guests will be blown away by the couple’s signature Pacific Northwest style influenced by Argentinian wood-fired grilling and the culinary heritage of Spain, France and Italy. Oregonian coup? Naw. They’ll ally with Gunshow’s regularly featured menu items. Make reservations ASAP: 404-380-1886. Upcoming “Hired Guns” guest chefs are JJ Johnson of Harlem's The Cecil, August 11-12; Jean-Paul Borgeois of Blue Smoke in New York City, September 29-30; and Colby and Megan Garrelts of Rye in Kansas City, November 17-18.

HOBNOB Touts Annual Tacos & Tequilas Event Through May 15

HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern knows how to fold ‘em -- and hold those prized bottles of top-shelf-quality tequila right above your glass. The Midtown restaurant's annual Tacos & Tequilas event takes off where Cinco de Mayo celebrations cut the party short, carrying novel margaritas and tacos from now through May 15. Detour from your usual taco folds to tortillas hugging carne asada, lettuce, pico de gallo, fresh avocado and salsa verde; pulled pork topped with coleslaw and pickled onion; and blackened fish bearing black bean corn salsa, lettuce and chipotle ranch dressing. Blueberries are antioxidant gems, all the more reason to try HOBNOB’s roasted blueberries and fresh basil margarita incorporating Herradura Silver, Cointreau and fresh lime juice along with the aforementioned roasted blueberries and basil. The smoked jalapeño margarita lights your fire with Tanteo Jalapeño tequila, Mezcal Amarás, fresh lime juice and sour mix. Southern states meet south of the border in the White Lightening margarita that swaps American Born Moonshine for traditional tequila along with Cointreau, fresh lime juice and sour mix. HOBNOB goes easy on your pesos -- tacos run $4 to $5. Make reservations online or call 404-968-2288.

Oh Me, Oh My Oh, Today is Cinco de Mayo!

Cinco de Mayo salsas into today’s agenda wielding a banner of independence from Tuesday’s usual tame fare in deference to chips, guac, tacos, margaritas and cervezas. Oh queso, where are you going to go? Tin Lizzy’s Cantina locations, Atkin’s Park Restaurant & Bar and all three Ray’s Restaurants are quick picks -- see their specials on our blog. 

What’s New on Pinterest

Mother’s Day, graduation, bridal and family gatherings...time to get Ready, Set, Brunch! While pointing out Atlanta brunch spots above, we’re also paving an avenue to homegrown hospitality. For morning sparkle, pour cranberry brunch punch or peach or white wine sangria. Polenta Benedict, smoked salmon egg-stuffed avocado and blueberry croissant puff invite oohs and aahs on the buffet. Finger foods such as maple bacon pancake bites, eight-minute bite-sized cinnamon rolls and bacon-wrapped tater tot bombs are easy for social butterflies to handle.  

#Foodgram

Click on a quick pick-me-up. Food and lifestyle expert and TV host Chadwick Boyd posts a “Lovely & Delicious” mix of positive messages and healthy eats. So he throws in a nod to buttermilk biscuits and ice cream amongst the kale and quinoa. Balance, folks. Balance. 

Appetizing Aperture

Holding plank strengthens those abs and meaty muscles. Same goes for the protein-laden charcuterie board planks at Saltwood Charcuterie & Bar in the Loews Atlanta Hotel, 1065 Peachtree Street in Midtown. Solidify your plank with Benton’s smoked mountain ham, Spotted Trotter’s “Hunter” salami or pork and duck prosciutto, country pâté, Saltwood’s own “Spam” or duck sausage, duck and pork 5 spice rillette, rabbit terrine and other house-made and locally cured and salted meats ($7-$12). Saltwood chefs will create charcuterie and cheese platters for parties of six or more for $12 per person. These savory shareables girded with pickled seasonal veggies and mustards are strong spotters for handcrafted cocktails and local microbrews from the bar.