Jacksonville, Florida is planning a brunch-bound Hop & Stop Trolley tour on Sunday, August 30 with stops at Moxie Kitchen + Cocktails plus two more restaurants in St. Johns Town Center. “Tourists” hop off at Moxie to dine on Hangtown omelet of farm eggs, fried oysters, avocado, goat cheese and bacon and summer salad of local leafy greens, shaved farm vegetables and vinaigrette paired with a breakfast brew eye-opener from Intuition Ale Works. Trivia contests and giveaways stand in for car bingo along the 1-4 p.m. trolley trip. $65 per person; 100 person limit. Make reservations with a credit card by calling Amy at 904-396-1213 or emailing catering@mhospitalityfl.com.
Chef Patric Bell-Good of MAX’s Wine Dive is one of the mighty, meaty Atlanta restaurant hunks squaring off in a “battle of the balls” at the second-annual Atlanta Meatball Festival on Sunday, August 30. The 1-5 p.m. “meat up” takes place under big-top tents in the parking area of Belle Isle Square on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs. Judges and attendees vote on chef-prepared dishes to determine who will move on to the afternoon’s Meat Brawl Throwdown. Beer and wine will be available to buy, and sweet treats, limoncello tastings and music by DJ MadFlip round out the day’s offerings. Produced by TasteATL, the savory event benefits Second Helpings Atlanta. Buy tickets online, $25 each through August 30; $30 at the gate.
Paso Robles’ limestone-rich acreage and distinctive microclimate give way to the big, Bordeaux-style wines of JUSTIN Vineyards and Winery pouring front and center at a special reception and four-course dinner hosted by Ray’s at Killer Creek on Friday, August 28. JUSTIN regional director of on-premise John Ford will be the evening’s guest speaker. Ray’s executive chef Mike Fuller’s thoughtful menu takes advantage of Georgia-grown and other seasonal flavors. The 6:30 p.m. reception opens with JUSTIN sauvignon blanc and bites of walnut raisin toast with Georgia gold figs; Logan Turnpike grit fritters with Capra Gia goat cheese and jalapeño pepper jam; and tuna wontons. At 7 p.m., dinner courses progress through cast iron-roasted day boat scallops paired with Overlook chardonnay; summer corn chowder with crispy blue crab and chile oil paired with Overlook pinot noir; wood oven-roasted lamb rack paired with Isosceles and Justification; and a finale of rich chocolate-cherry tarte paired with Obtuse. $80 per person (plus tax and gratuity). Space is limited. Reservations may be made and held with a credit card by calling 770-649-0064.
Sync or swim? Opt to “sync” and command the mic in the first-ever Lip Sync Battle at Atkins Park Virginia-Highland on Thursday, August 27 at 10 p.m. There’s room for individuals, duos and groups in the epic reveal of lip sync and showmanship skills hosted by the Mayor of Ponce and Atkins Park’s own Star-Tender. Props provided, costumes encouraged. Banish bashfulness because prizes of two weekend passes to Music Midtown, house cash and Milli Vanilli memorabilia are at stake. The night’s beer selections, from cosponsor Boulevard Brewing Company, should help loosen the tongue.
Time to call it curtains on a day at the office and dabble in a little wine tasting at Table 1280 at the Woodruff Arts Center. Receive 10 wine tastes for $15 on Wednesday, August 26 beginning at 5:30 p.m. (not including tax or gratuity). It’s worth remembering that Table 1280 stages these wine tastings on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. No need to bow out early, the restaurant offers a dinner menu of locally sourced, farm-to-fork fare until 8 p.m.
Unfurling one special after another throughout the summer, the Willy’s Mexicana Grill #SummerofWillys 20th anniversary celebration pulls a few more tricks out of its sombrero before the party rolls out the door. Tortillas and toppings fly fast and furious when top burrito rollers from each Willy’s Mexicana Grill location compete for bragging rights and cash prizes ranging from $100 to $1,000 at the eatery’s newly re-opened West Paces Ferry location on Tuesday, August 25. The bracket-style play-off starts rolling at 3:30 p.m. with team members competing for a $1,000 prize, and Willy’s general managers put their reputations on the line in their own 4:30 p.m. competition, vying for a $500 prize. 5:30 p.m. brings the final roll-off with Willy Bitter himself going head-to-head with the top winners in each category. Willy’s fans come out as winners all around, nabbing burritos rolled to order for $5 each from 6-10 p.m. plus a raffle, live music, a prize wheel and giveaways. Since we’re mentioning prizes, August 31 marks the deadline to enter the Summer of Willy’s Orlando vacation sweepstakes; read details here. Don’t miss the #SummerOfWillys” last “Happy Hour Monday” on August 31 for 20 percent off a selected menu item and a free small cheese dip.
Open season has begun! Capture pics of your favorite Smokebelly BBQ dish to enter into the Buckhead barbecue joint’s Instagram photo contest. Focus your view finder on the Delta Double, baby back ribs, 21-hour Angus beef brisket, the pimento cheese and smoked turkey BLT or any of your other Smokebelly favorites for a chance to win free food for a month. Upload the photo to Instagram tagged “@smokebellybbq” and “#sb4me.” Deadline to enter is October 5. The winner, to be announced October 6, receives $500 Smokebelly BBQ credit to use as he or she chooses.
Labor Day comes “late” this year - Monday, September 7 - squeezing in time for one last summer getaway or cookout before fall unofficially arrives. Some of our favorite Atlanta restaurants are remaining open on Labor Day for destination dining, serving sustenance for those returning from vacations and providing the fixings for labor-less holiday eating.
At Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland, regular hours of 11:30 a.m.-3 a.m. prevail on Labor Day, but the Sunday fun is extended until 3 a.m. Monday morning.
Bantam + Biddy locations (Ansley, Crescent, Lenox and Avalon) are open normal hours serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Ansley restaurant is home plate for Monday Slider Night beginning at 5 p.m. At Avalon, guests can tilt back $2 Jekyll Brewing Big Creek Kolsch in the restaurant or take their brews out to the streetscape for a stroll and window shopping.
Chick-a-Biddy in Atlantic Station will be open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. and offering its usual lunch and dinner menus packed with all-natural chicken dishes, burgers, wraps and more.
Loyal to the core, Johnny’s Hideaway is open normal hours on Labor Day so Johnny’s friends can uphold their Monday night traditions. Team trivia begins at 7:30 p.m., the DJ spins dance tunes at 9 p.m. and food and drink specials twist the night away until 3 a.m.
With 14 metro Atlanta locations, all open as usual on Labor Day, there's a Marlow's Tavern close at hand with hearty American food and beverage favorites.
In addition to being open for lunch and dinner, MAX’s Wine Dive spreads out its popular 11 a.m.-4 p.m. weekend brunch over all three days of the holiday weekend.
Revival in Decatur will be open from 5-9 p.m. on Labor Day and serving its dinner menu of à la carte and family-style dishes inspired by the Southern culinary heritage of Kevin Gillespie’s family tree.
Nothing says end-of-summer celebration like a frozen cocktail on a stick. Saltwood Charcuterie & Bar has that - in pineapple margarita or cucumber melon mojito flavors - and more on Labor Day until 10:30 p.m.
Summer in the South is all about barbecue, sweet tea and cold brews. Sounds like Smokebelly BBQ in Buckhead, which is open 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
Even the landlocked can wiggle into their flip-flops for a coastal holiday weekend both inside and out on the covered deck at The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill in Buckhead. Atlanta’s local beach house will be open on Labor Day from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. offering an ocean of seafood dishes and evening live music.
Firing up the grill this Labor Day? Pick up some White Oak Pastures pastured poultry or grass-fed beef for the backyard barbecue.
Sushi for the Choosy reaches out to the squeamishly hesitant and chopstick champs jaded by the usual choices. Salmon sashimi with ginger and hot sesame oil or in a rice bowl intros simply into the sushi scene before stepping up to easy-to-make spicy tuna hand rolls. Smokey portobello rolls and raw collard greens sushi rolls welcome vegans to the party. Adorable spring kazari makizushi decoration sushi rolls and shrimp-shaped into Japanese koi entice youngsters to try something new. There’s an ocean of ideas on our Pinterest board. Jump in.
Cattle! Give them free range and they start hamming it up for White Oak Pastures’ Instagram page...so of course the chicks and pups have to finagle their way onto the page. Farm life. Love it. Eat it up.
Japanese matcha tea is high in antioxidants, amino acids and the chlorophyll that imparts its rich green hue. Bantam + BiddyCrescent Avenue whips up a matcha latte ($5) that’s the perfect blend of decadence and health with just enough caffeine to perk up your afternoon at the office. Lenox Square shoppers, grab the same at Bantam + Biddy on the mall’s main level to power up while accomplishing some retail therapy.
Moxie Kitchen + Cocktails chef Tom Gray and chef Kevin Sbraga of soon-to-open restaurant Sbraga & Company – both in Jacksonville, Florida -- are uniting to co-host a collaborative dinner on Saturday, August 29. A welcome cocktail greets guests as they mingle before sitting down to a three-course family style meal with cocktail pairings. Each chef will prepare a dish for each course enabling guests to sample fare from the two distinct restaurants. Cheddar biscuits and BBQ butter grace the table and make way for a first course of kale salad with benne and blue cheese; falafel with pimento yogurt; and heirloom tomato and ricotta tart. Second course features dry-aged beef with smoked onion, carrots and pesto along with wood-fired local fish with BBQ glaze, plus four sides. Dessert delves into peanut butter banana pudding and Mississippi mud milkshake with toasted marshmallow. Two seatings -- 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. -- in Moxie’s Coast to Coast room. Buy tickets online; $99 per person (including tax and gratuity).
Interesting tidbit. Schnitzel å la Holstein, the schnitzel of the month at Der Biergarten, has nothing to do with Holstein cows. Lore has it a Berlin restaurant dreamt up this version of schnitzel, combining appetizer and main course on one plate to appease time-strapped German diplomat Friedrich von Holstein. The lightly breaded pork is served with a fried egg and anchovies and topped with a caper cream sauce ($23). Spaten Marzen, a year-round Oktoberfest beer, pulls rank as August beer of the month for $9/liter at the authentic German beer garden in downtown’s Luckie Marietta district.
Chef Marco Serrano knows how to fold ‘em so Taco Night taco
lovers can hold ‘em. Tops a mean tostada, too. Serrano’s Mexico City-style
street food is the real deal, and like real street food, it’s here one week,
another locale the next. On Monday, August 24, his Taco Night Pop-up
lands a 6 p.m. spot at Last Word in the Old Fourth Ward to wake up sleepy taste
buds. Mamá Serrano is in town to prepare her speciality and a three generation
Serrano family recipe, mixiotes, with son Chef Marco. The agave leaves were flown
straight from México City for the August 24th Taco Night. Limited availability.
Who wants one?
Article 14, home court to “Atlanta’s most expensive cocktail” -- the $99 Barrel of Jewels, knows discerning tastes don’t always have fat wallets. To bridge the gap, the Midtown restaurant is initiating a more purse-friendly “Perfect Pour.” The program introduces guests to the highly sought-after cognac Louis XIII de Rémy Martin through half-ounce ($40), one-ounce ($80) or two-ounce ($150) pours. Well-respected in the heady world of politics, fashion and art, Louis XIII de Rémy Martin is crafted by three generations of cellar masters using only grapes from the exclusive Grande Champagne territory of Cognac, France. Fermentation and distillation yield an “eau de vie,” which is aged up to 100 years in centuries-old oak barrels and then stored in its own cellar. Can’t mess with perfection, but you can pour it.
Beat it to the patio for live music weekends at FLIP burger boutique in Buckhead. Musicians will entertain guests Friday and Saturday evenings from 7-11 p.m. and Sunday afternoons from 5-9 p.m. Click here for the complete music schedule. Unwind with a thick milkshake or a beer (local to global), wine or ingenious cocktail. Hungry for more? FLIP stacks its buns with boutique burgers pattied of Angus beef, tuna or beef tartare, shrimp, chorizo, “fauxlafel” and more, including a trio of sliders for the decision-impaired as well as starters to share, sides and salads.
Twenty years strong and still rolling along, Willy’s Mexicana Grill continues to spin out specials during its #SUMMEROFWILLYS summer-long 20th anniversary celebration. “Taco” 20 percent off the price of tacos and receive a free small cheese dip to go with your chips during Willy’s happy hour on Monday, August 24 from 2-5 p.m. Come on, there’s nacho one reason to miss this chipper treat!
Only one more week until the big dance party at Johnny’s Hideaway on Monday, August 24 from 7-10 p.m. Three hours of dancing to DJ tunes is more exhilarating than three hours of gym-bound cardio, and besides, the evening benefits The Giving Kitchen. Johnny’s owner Chris Dauria is passing 20 percent of the 7-10 p.m. party’s gross sales to The Giving Kitchen and its compassionate mission. Hospitality workers, this night’s for you as well since Buckhead’s nightclub for big kids offers $3 beer, $5 cocktails and half-priced appetizers to those in “the biz.” Toe tap over to the Atlanta Dish blog for more details.
Gather in the garden at Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails and feast on executive chef Derek Dollar’s four-course menu with wine pairings on Sunday, August 23. Arrive at 7 p.m. for a reception featuring hors d’oeuvre and libations, then set off on a quick garden tour led by Milton’s Acre resident grower Peter Kohm. Milton’s Acre looks even more magical graced with stunning tablescapes and twinkling arbor lights as guests sit down for a family style dinner of modern-yet-rustic comfort food inspired by the garden harvest. Purchase tickets online, $125 per person (includes tax and gratuity). For those unable to “beet” it to this event in historic Crabapple, the last two Garden Dinners of the 2015 season on September 20 and October 11 are ripe for the picking. More information? Call 770-817-0161.
Atlanta bartenders hope Saturday evening’s Cocktails for Community cocktail fete at Decatur’s beautiful Love is Love Farm at Gaia Gardens yields a wellspring of funds for Community Farmers Markets’ Double SNAP outreach and education efforts. From 5-8 p.m. on August 22, mixologists will turn innovative seasonal flavors into highballs for guests to enjoy along with hors d’oeuvre and cheeses from Many Fold Farm. Tickets are $75 each and include cocktails, food and fun times; VIP tickets are $150 each and add in a swag bag worth more than $100 (additional online service fee applies). Community Farmers Markets -- encompassing Decatur, East Atlanta Village, Grant Park and Westside farmers markets -- strives to develop and strengthen farmers markets for long-term sustainability and meaningful community impact while building a stronger local food system family.
One last summer shindig unfolds at The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill on Thursday, August 20. Summer lingers on at the Buckhead Beach Party from 5-9 p.m. with live music, a special Low Country Boil dish ($9.50) and thirst-quenching drink specials including $15 beer buckets, $5 Deep Eddy cocktails, $3 Fireballs and $5 Absolut Moscow Mules. Don’t let summer slip away without one last bash at Atlanta’s favorite beach house.
MAX’s in Midtown is pleased as punch to be able to craft clever cocktails for its diners as well as wowing them with a wine-by-the-glass list and numerous locally brewed beers. On Thursday, August 20, MAX's kicks off "Celebrate the Spirits” by offering daily $4 well drinks all day long. For clock watchers, that’s 11 a.m. until 11 p.m....copious time to try out some of the new items on the chow side of the menu. What else are you going to do on a Thursday? Scroll through those “Throwback Thursday” posts?
The 90s are back this summer, temperature-wise, leading us to cry out for “Ice, Ice, Baby.” Settle in by the cold air vent, Pinterest-browsing device in hand, for a virtual ice bath of cocktail snow cones, flavored and melon ball ice cubes, ice sculptures, icy crafts and all things frozen. One cool hint -- freeze summer’s herbs before they wilt away.
MAX’s in Midtown advises: skip the fork, go with the fingers. MAX’s hand dips their andouille sausage corn dog, fries it to a crispy gold crust and parks it alongside a heap of hand-cut fries and a pot of zesty honey mustard. It’s the real Creole for $9.
White Oak Pastures gets right to the point of knife necessities at their Butchering Workshop -- in the butchering room -- on Saturday, August 22 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Learn butchering techniques including how to keep knives properly sharpened to slice the best cuts, how to break down a side of beef, carve out five different cuts of meat and how to age beef cuts to obtain the best flavor. Meaty tidbit: White Oak Pastures is the only farm in the U.S. that pasture raises and hand-butchers 10 red meat and poultry species as well as produces pastured eggs and certified organic vegetables. Limited to 10 participants. Purchase your spot now for $100. Includes lunch in The Pavilion.
Luxury living meets delectable dining when Modern Luxury’s The Atlantan and Interiors Atlanta and ADAC, the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center, open the doors on the annual “To Live & Dine” design and dining event on Monday, August 17. Fifty stunning, custom-designed tablescapes are “ooh” and “aah” conversation starters for guests dining on adventurous cuisine from Gunshow, Gypsy Kitchen and 48 other elite Atlanta restaurants. Look for Gunshow executive chef Joey Ward in the mix, as well as executive chef Matthew Ridgway of Gypsy Kitchen and The Southern Gentleman. Buy tickets for the 6:30-9 p.m. event here, $40 each (plus $2.99 service fee). Tickets will not be available at the door. Must be 21+ to attend.
Tacos at Tin Lizzy’s Cantina are as irresistible on television as they are up close and personal. See for yourself when “Atlanta Eats” “holas” up at Tin Lizzy’s for the August 16 episode. Steak Shapiro hosts the entertaining weekly roundup of noshes and what’s new at Atlanta restaurants every Saturday and Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. on Peachtree TV. Tin Lizzy’s 10 locations, nine in Atlanta and one in Augusta, open at 11 a.m. daily, so when the show’s over, head on over! Follow “Atlanta Eats” on Facebook and Twitter to stay in the know.
Save 20 percent on the price of a White Oak PasturesAmerican Standard Bronze heritage breed turkey by placing your order before the price flies north on Saturday, August 15. A glistening roast turkey with gravy sets mouths to watering at the Thanksgiving table. Can’t say the same about hormones, antibiotics and cooped up birds -- so why invite them? White Oak Pastures’ birds are happy campers, raised free from hormones and antibiotics and free to roam and develop rich, forage-fed flavor before heading to the on-farm USDA-inspected poultry abattoir. A nationwide shortage of young turkeys to pasture raise and increased demand means a limited supply for this holiday season. Avoid poultry panic and save by ordering now. Prices before discount: $75 for small turkeys (8-12 lbs.), $100 for medium-sized (12.1-16 lbs.) and $125 for large (16.1 and heavier). Order through White Oak Pastures’ online store. All Thanksgiving turkey orders will be shipped Monday, November 16-Friday, November 20 to ensure timely delivery.
Atlantic Station turns into a smokin’ hot barbecue spot this weekend when Twin Smokers BBQ and other Atlanta eateries pull out their signature barbecues at the seventh annual Atlanta BAR-B-Q Festival Friday, August 14 from 4-10 p.m. and Saturday, August 15 from noon-8 p.m. The Travel Channel recognizes this annual event as one of the top 10 BBQ festivals and competitions in the U.S.A. Pro and backyard teams vie in wing and barbecue competitions. Live music and chef-driven cooking demos flow each day, and Kids Korner gives tykes a place to expend energy. Complete schedule online. Wings are king at Friday night’s T.G.I. Wings sampling, giving way to extensive pro-am ‘cue action at Saturday’s Taste of the Pig sampling. The Bourbon Experience barrels in for bourbon lovers as a separate ticketed event. General admission tickets are $6 in advance and $10 day of show. Buy barbecue and samples directly from participating restaurants, vendors and teams at an additional cost. Bourbon Experience tickets are $30 each.
Cobb County police chiefs, district attorney’s office, sheriff’s office and the Marietta Fire Department bond together to protect communities, but these heroes go toque to toque during SafePath’s Good Eatin’ Great Cause cooking competition on Thursday, August 13 at Cobb Galleria Centre. Showdown host and firehouse chef Ryan McKay is no stranger to the dangers knives and stoves pose -- he’s a two-time competition winner and a contestant on NBC’s “Food Fighters.” Those looking for neutral territory can head to the culinary tour part of the 6-10 p.m. event where Ray’s on the River and Seed Kitchen & Bar are on the roster of 30 Georgia chefs serving signature dishes, tapas-style. Buy ticketsonline: $75 per person, $35 for public safety officers. Buy a $20 raffle ticket for a chance to judge the cook off!
Atlanta’s long and winding roads, a.k.a. Roswell and Peachtree, lead to an evening crammed full with food from top restaurants, open bars, popular Yacht Rock Review playing The Beatles covers, chef bands and a unique silent auction when Eats & Beats infiltrates The Buckhead Theatre on Thursday, August 13. One ticket is all that’s needed to enjoy savories from The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill, Smokebelly BBQ and a host of Atlanta restaurants, cocktails, wine, beer and entertainment. Can’t buy me love, but guests can spring for vacations, chef dinners, art by gorillas and chimpanzees and other silent auction items because event proceeds benefit Children of Conservation and The Giving Kitchen. Purchase tickets for the 7-10 p.m. event in advance for $75 each ($85 at door). VIP ticket ($150) adds privileges.
Put on your
best German attire and head on over to Der Biergarten in the Luckie Marietta District this
Saturday, August 15, for Atlanta’s 8th Schlager Party! Beer specials include
Sapten Marzen and Weihenstephan Hefe for $9 per liter. Prizes will be given out
for best costume, so throw on the lederhosen!
TomorrowWorld, America’s largest 21+ music festival, is coming to Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia over the weekend of September 25-27, and this year the victuals will be stars along with the music. TomorrowWorld is partnering with Red Beard Restaurants, created and owned by celebrated chef, author and “Top Chef” finalist Kevin Gillespie, to serve an assortment of exclusive dining experiences at Tomorrow’s Table. The festival’s first sit-down restaurant experience offers Main Stage views for seated diners and takeaway picnic baskets for those wanting to beat it back to their own spots. Each day’s meals sing to the beat of one of Gillespie’s culinary creations -- Terminus City whole hog, chicken or smoked mushroom barbecue on Friday; global fare from Gunshow on Saturday; and Southern traditions and trimmings from Revival on Sunday.
Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails is taking its anniversary to the nines. The historic Crabapple restaurant is celebrating anniversary number nine with $9 specials through August 31. Toast Milton’s and its seed-to-table fare with a Blushing Belle cocktail of strawberry-infused vodka and prosecco priced at $9. Another favorite, small plates of lobster and corn fritters with Creole mustard butter sauce and basil aioli are also $9 each.
How about some live music this summer with that Butcher’s Cut burger, fry side sampler and N2 shake? FLIP burger boutique in Buckhead now offers live music on Friday and Saturday nights as well as Sunday afternoons that segue into evenings. Calendar shows who’s playing when, and be sure to follow FLIP on Facebook for updates!
Javier Viera now rides herd on the culinary activity at Cotton Calf Kitchen, Braselton’s new classic American steakhouse opening soon. Viera, a Buford resident and former executive chef at Communitas Hospitality (G’s Midtown, 10th & Piedmont, HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern), is thrilled to spend less time idling in traffic and more time pouring his creative energy and experience into the Cotton Calf Kitchen menu of small plates, tapas and signature steaks. The son of a baker and pastry chef, Viera grew up passionate about cooking. He entered the hospitality highway as a busboy in Connecticut and moved forward into his first executive chef job at age 23. Backtracking from his time at Communitas Hospitality in Midtown, Viera served as executive chef of Divan Restaurant in Atlanta and Chart House in Dobbs Ferry, New York, was a corporate trainer at Morton’s Steakhouse in Manhattan and was director of operations for the opening parties of Trump Towers.
Before you hold your nose, open your mind to Seoul Food and a bit of fermented cabbage fusion. Pungent kimchi jars new life into Mexican, American and global classics that have become a bit ordinary. Douse fries, mac and cheese, hot dogs or pork belly pizza with kimchi. Pack some pickles to perk up banh mi sandwiches. Bulgogi and Korean barbecue knock burritos, nachos, tacos and sandwiches into new realms. Besides, it’s too much fun to say, “bibimbap soba.”
Diners turn to Zagat to find the best restaurants in cities around the globe. Zagat’s Instagram album hones in on the food itself. Spicing up the views and savory samosas at Masti, the colorful, casual Indian spot in Druid Hills.
