Longing for the beach but totally landlocked? The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill in Buckhead and Roswell is the next best thing to being there. Atlantans already flock to their favorite beach house after work for half-price half-shell oysters. Now, a new “bar bait” menu lands more easygoing, affordably priced eats such as hushpuppies, half ($1.95) or full basket ($2.95), served with rémoulade; sweet-n-spicy calamari with mango-sweet chili sauce ($3.95); fish bites with tartar sauce ($3.95); seared ahi tuna, served with cucumber salsa and a creamy soy ($5.95); and hummus with fresh veggies and pita chips ($3.95). Through February 29, net all of these nautical noshes Monday through Friday from 4-6:30 p.m. in Buckhead, 5-6 p.m. in Roswell.
This bucket list holds a couple of Roswell-Atlanta must-dos. Show this post at Aqua blue in Roswell to receive 10 percent off your meal tab. Before pocketing your phone, capture a few mealtime pictures, post them on Instagram tagging #AquaBlueATL, @aquablueatl and @atlbucketlist. In a snapshot, best picture wins a $100 Aqua blue gift card. Keep on snapping through December 31.
Those who’ve dropped the ball on planning where to ring in 2016 still have time to make reservations at Atlanta restaurants. Elegant dinners, Champagne toasts and traditional New Year’s Day dishes await, but hurry, the clock’s ticking.
New Year's Eve
10th & Piedmont welcomes guests with a complimentary glass of Champagne and a four-course menu including country ham and black-eyed pea soup; pan-seared crab cake on wild greens; a surf-and-turf “three way;” and salted caramel crème brûlée parfait. $45 per person (not including tax and gratuity). Call 404-602-5510.
Toast to midnight at Aqua blue where a special three-course prix fixe menu features lobster bisque or lobster and shrimp salad; seafood-stuffed Maine lobster tail or Angus beef rib-eye and tempura shrimp; and warm chocolate cake or chocolate mint crème brûlée. This $55 per person dinner menu is available December 26-31. Call 770-643-8886.
Celebrate an elegant New Year’s Eve at Aria in Buckhead with a four-course meal for $95 per person. Reservations: 404-233-7673.
Chef Kevin Gillespie’s celebrated Gunshow rolls through extended hours on New Year’s Eve, seating every half hour beginning at 5:30 p.m. through 10 p.m. Enjoy the Glenwood Park restaurant’s signature table-side rotation of chefs selections, at an elevated price point for the holiday. Guests also can enjoy premium wines and cocktails. Call 404-380-1886 for reservations.
Gypsy Kitchen plans a New Year’s Eve menu of family style pinchos (almonds, olives, chicken croquetas and pickled beets) plus a supplemental course of uni-stuffed eggs (add $10) and foie gras (add $15); a mixed-green salad and tortilla Espanola; and an entrée of cod pil-pil or braised beef chunks (add burgundy truffles for $15). $65 per person. Reservations: 404-939-9840.
Johnny’s Hideaway rings in the New Year with a special celebration for $40 per person, which includes seating and midnight party favors. Arrive by 9:30 p.m. or forfeit your seat. Reserve in person or by phone by calling 404-233-8026.
HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern ushers in 2016 with all-you-can-drink SweetWater 420 and all-you-can-eat pizza specials from 10 p.m. to close, along with live music, DJ tunes from James Patrick Morgan and a midnight Champagne toast and balloon drop. The regular dinner menu also is available until 10 p.m. Tickets are $35 in advance and $45 at the door; limited to the first 100 guests. Call 404-968-2288 for reservations.
Le Fat is open from 5-10 p.m. for a Vietnamese fix of shaking beef and other favorites. Reservations: 404-439-9850.
Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails is open until midnight to ring in the New Year and is serving a $65 prix fixe menu from 5-10 p.m. Live music begins at 8 p.m., hang on for party favors and a complimentary Champagne toast when the clock strikes midnight. Call 770-817-0161.
Ray’s on the River, Ray’s at Killer Creek and Ray’s in the Citywill serve a limited dinner menu alongside a $65 three-course prix fixe menu on New Year’s Eve with selections such as a broiled seafood platter, filet mignon, Bay of Fundy salmon Oscar, pan-seared Chilean sea bass and rib-eye (selections subject to change). Reservations required. Lounges at all three locations remain open until 1 a.m.
Ray’s on the River unmasks 2016 at a New Year’s Eve Masquerade Ball from 9:30 p.m.-1 a.m. in their riverside grand pavilion with dancing to tunes by a five-piece band, open bar, heavy hors d’oeuvre, a Champagne toast and midnight balloon drop. $130 per person (plus tax and gratuity). Reservations required: 770-955-1187.
In Decatur, Revival offers both family style and à la carte menus of house favorites and traditional Southern dishes such as black-eyed peas, local greens, cornbread, pork, roasted prime beef with caramelized onion jus and fried chicken. The restaurant will pour cocktails, wine and beer, along with prosecco for celebratory toasts. Dinner seatings available from 5-10 p.m. Reservations: 470-225-6770.
Seed Kitchen & Bar and Stem Wine Bar in Marietta are both offering a four-course prix fixe menu as well as an à la carte menu for New Year’s Eve. Seed’s menu is $69 per person plus $25 for wine pairings; Stem’s menu is $79 per person plus $29 for wine pairings. Call 678-214-6888 for reservations.
The Southern Gentleman gastropub in Buckhead is serving up a suitably sophisticated prix fixe menu on New Year’s Eve for $65. Deviled egg with applewood-smoked trout caviar precede a first course of either salt-and-pepper corn fritters or confit pork belly; a second course of roasted kabocha squash salad, beef tartare or Belgian endive and apple salad; and an entrée of Gulf shrimp, skillet-roasted young chicken, braised Creekstone Farm beef cheeks or foraged mushroom risotto. Dessert calls for foie blonde (liquid graham cracker, vanilla bean ice cream and essence of foie gras) or the Southern Gentleman candy bar with chocolate crémeux, caramel and roasted peanuts in a butter crust. Reservations: 404-939-9845.
New Year's Day
10th & Piedmont is serving its regular weekend menu of brunch favorites and cocktails. Call 404-602-5510 for reservations.
Visit Aqua blue for your first dinner of 2016. The Roswell restaurant is serving its regular dinner menu from 4-11 p.m. on New Year's Day. Reservations: 770-643-8886.
Chick-a-Biddy and all locations of Bantam + Biddy will be open normal hours on January 1 and serving regular brunch until 3 p.m. along with a special New Year’s Day offering of honey-glazed ham, stewed black-eyed peas, braised collard greens, cornbread and country gravy priced at $16. Toast 2016 with $5 bloody marys and mimosas.
Enjoy brunch at HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Choose the regular brunch menu or a special $12 New Year's Day dish of scrambled eggs, black-eyed peas and collard greens. Regular dinner service follows. Call 404-968-2288.
Not a believer in hoppin' John on New Year's Day? As with New Year’s Eve, Le Fat is open normal hours to satisfy cravings for Vietnamese banh mi and more. Call 404-439-9850 for reservations.
Brunch in the new year from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Ray’s on the River followed by regular dinner service from 5-10 p.m.Ray’s at Killer Creek and Ray’s in the City will be open 11 a.m.-10 p.m., and Ray’s at Killer Creek will offer its usual Friday “Wine” Down special of 50 percent off bottles of wine ($200 and under; excludes reserve).
‘Tis three nights before Christmas (that’s two before Christmas Eve)...If you’re still looking at hours of stirring and stirring between wrapping, cooking and last-minute details for feasting with family and friends, stop. Santa has a remedy: the Dish list of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and takeaway dining solutions. Click. Call. Order. Reservations. Joy to the world, food is on the table.
While summer is made for mojitos, winter’s bluster musters up recipes to Warm Up with a Cup o’ Cheer. Our Pinterest board steams with drinks to sip around the fireplace and Harry Potter cocktails, hot buttered rums and Jamies, German mulled wine, Crock-Pot cranberry cider and hot chocolate gussied up with amaretto, mint, pumpkin and more. Winter wedding? Create a hot chocolate bar for your guests!
Sneak a peek into the life of Gail Simmons of Food & Wine magazine and Bravo’s “Top Chef” fame. Food, cooking techniques, friends, family and travel are all “fare” game here.
Article 14 holds The Key to the Holidays, and it comes in a glass. The holiday-themed old fashioned jingles together Larceny bourbon, apple liqueur and rich “Holiday” syrup ($12). Come on over and don’t bother ringing the bell, the door to holiday merriment is already wide open.
During the next two hectic weeks, even elves need elves (or Jedi) to assist with the open-ended questions and those pesky details like what to feed family and friends on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We have the answers wise, yet time-strapped, men and women seek: a well-honed list of Atlanta restaurants with holiday menus and catering and takeaway ideas to light the way through Christmas on toward 2016. We suggest moving dining reservations to the top of your list and using the phone numbers listed. Find more catering and takeaway solutions on our blog.
Hams, pies and cakes from Revival sure come in handy when everyone’s eating at your place Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Hickory-smoked Heritage Farms Cheshire pork hams weigh in at around 10 pounds each and serve 20-25 people. Priced at $10 per pound, hams come sliced through to the bone for easy serving. Santa’s not the only one with a sweet tooth. Visions of Revival’s famous nine-inch lemon icebox pie ($45) and awesome chocolate cake ($55) will dance in Christmas memories (because there won’t be any leftovers). Order hams by December 20 for December 23 pickup. Desserts require 48-hour notice and may be picked up any time before December 23. Call 470-225-6770 to place orders, credit card required.
Christmas Eve
10th & Piedmont presents a special Christmas Eve menu from 5-10 p.m. including lobster bisque; cranberry and Camembert salad; an entrée of seared coffee-dusted duck breast with Chambord demi-glace or almond pesto-crusted Scottish salmon; and red velvet cake. $29.95 per person. Beverages, tax and gratuity not included; call 404-602-5510.
For a peaceful evening amid twinkling candlelight and crystal, reserve seats for a Christmas Eve dinner at Aria, Gerry Klaskala’s Buckhead destination for creative American cuisine. Dinner service begins at 5 p.m.; call 404-233-7673for reservations.
Open on Christmas Eve, Article 14 shines as the place to go for drinks or dinner before or after being dazzled by the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s Garden Lights Holiday Nights, which also is open Christmas Eve. The Midtown restaurant pours festive Holiday Cheer cocktails including The Key to the Holidays old fashioned ($12; see Appetizing Aperture for details) and Portside at Six featuring Michter’s American whiskey, Carpano Antica Formula vermouth, Fonseca port, Bitter End Memphis BBQ bitters and Boker’s bitters ($12). Call 404-443-8432.
"Twelve Days of Biddy" ends on December 24 at Bantam + Biddy and Chick-a-Biddy with $3 sliders available until closing (2 p.m. at Bantam + Biddy Crescent; 3 p.m. at Bantam + Biddy Ansley; or 6 p.m. at Chick-a-Biddy and Bantam + Biddy Avalon and Lenox Square).
Honor Santa’s trusty team by enjoying the December burger of the month at both Atlanta FLIP burger boutique locations, open until 5 p.m. on Christmas Eve. “The Rudolph" is a deer burger (venison steak and game seasoning) with blackberry ketchup, baby kale, pickled grape tomatoes, red onion-juniper jam and tomme cheese snow. Comes with gingerbread-spiced potato twigs -- shoestring potatoes with brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and clove. Chase it down with December’s featured shake, "Deer Tracks" -- chocolate ice cream, liquid nitrogen whoppers, salted caramel, balsamic reduction and vanilla whipped cream.
Kevin Gillespie’s Gunshow will be open and seating its last reservations for the evening at 8:30 p.m. Customary table-side rotation of chefs’ selections carries a holiday-themed menu with items such as roast beast, Peking duck and ham along with premium wines and cocktails to mark the occasion. Reservations: 404-380-1886.
Stop by Le Fat, Guy Wong's West Midtown Vietnamese brasserie, on Christmas Eve for the addictive garlic chili prawns or a bowl of comfort food like thit kho, brimming with caramelized pork belly, pickled mustard greens, braised egg and grilled scallions. Call 404-439-9850.
A nice adult beverage, like the Holiday Spice martini at Marlow’s Tavern, does wonders after a hectic day of last-minute shopping. The merry martini mixes vanilla vodka, rye whiskey, RumChata and St. Elizabeth allspice dram, served on the rocks or frozen, and is garnished with fresh grated nutmeg. Good tidings -- all Atlanta-area locations of Marlow's are open normal hours on Christmas Eve.
Saltwood Charcuterie & Bar unwraps a special Saltwood Christmas prix fixe menu for family style Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dining. View the complete menu here. Served from 5:30-10 p.m. $65 per person. Complimentary valet parking. Call 404-745-5745.
Christmas Day
Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland offers a classic Christmas dinner with a prix fixe menu featuring Big Green Egg-smoked turkey breast with caramelized apple and sage stuffing in a cider gravy; braised pork shoulder with roasted root vegetable in a bourbon glaze; green bean casserole with crispy onions and roasted mushrooms; roasted garlic mashed potatoes and sweet potato biscuits. Since Santa ate your cookies, you can enjoy Southern pecan pie or peppermint cheesecake for dessert. $28 for adults, $18 for young adults and $10 for children under 10. Doors open at 6 p.m. Highly recommend making reservations; call 404-876-7249.
HOBNOB
Neighborhood Tavern in Midtown will
be open for regular hours on Christmas Day offering up their unique selection
of cocktails, including the Knock Knock Who Is There: rye, balsamic, basil and
ginger ($10).
Dance for joy, it’s Christmas! Johnny’s Hideaway, the legendary Buckhead nightspot, opens at 7 p.m. on Christmas Day and is serving up its popular menu of appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, entrées and more.
Your guests will ooh and aah over Saltwood Charcuterie & Bar Yule logs -- the dessert, not the fire log. They’ll be even more delighted when you explain the divine “log” they’re forking into is helping For the Kid in All of Us. Ten percent of each $19 Yule log purchased goes to the non-profit organization that brightens the lives of Georgia’s children in need. Each log serves up to six people and comes in flavors such as chocolate salted caramel, cherry pistachio and red velvet cream cheese. Have another flavor or size in mind? Saltwood will craft one to your liking with 48-hour notice. Yule regret not serving or gifting one. Purchase in Market Eleven through December 31.
Holiday cookies and cocktails are a waistline’s nightmare before Christmas. Granted, a Santa belly looks cute when you’re St. Nick. On most of us, meh, not so much. Remedy? Get up and dance to live music Sunday nights starting at 8:30 p.m. at Johnny’s Hideaway in Buckhead. Band X takes the stage on December 20, and Legacy Music keeps the beat December 27. Food and drink specials; $5 cover charge. Dance now. A bevy of bowl game buffets await.
Fastest way to brew up a party? Invite friends and neighbors to meet at Three Taverns Craft Brewery on December 20 for Sunday Beer-B-Cue featuring Kevin Gillespie's Terminus City BBQ and live music from 5-8 p.m. Andreas Müller, executive chef of Revival and Terminus City's pitmaster, hand chops KG’s mouth-watering whole hog BBQ for sliders to chomp into while enjoying live music and complimentary Three Taverns handcrafted beer with a brewery tour. Tickets available online, $15 plus small service fee. A percentage of the proceeds go to nonprofit Decatur-area Emergency Assistance Ministry (DEAM).
Gather the kids and their wish lists and steer the sleigh to Ray’s Rio Bravo on Sunday, December 20. From 5-8 p.m., families are invited to visit with Santa, take photos and order from Ray’s vast menu of made-from-scratch Tex-Mex cuisine. Ray’s gift to you -- kids eat free.
Popcorn and soda a weak Jedi knight does make. How can The Force be with you when hunger pangs of the dark side strike during a key maneuver? Before zooming off to conquer galaxies far, far away, park the space racer at one of these Atlanta restaurants conveniently located near metro theaters when “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” opens Friday, December 18. Farm-fresh chicken and sides at Chick-a-Biddy in Atlantic Station will sustain Padawans of all ages (kids menu, too) before strapping into Regal Atlantic Station’s stadium seats for an IMAX 3D or big-screen showing. Bantam + Biddy in Lenox Square Mall is a short transport across Peachtree Road from Phipps Plaza AMC screens and an ideal place to alight for a pre-matinee breakfast or a meal on either side of an afternoon or evening showing. At Alpharetta’s Avalon, Bantam + Biddy and Marlow’s Tavern rule the galaxy offering hearty, not heavy fare, beer, wine and spirits, just steps away from Regal Avalon. Park once for dinner and the movie if the destination is Merchant’s Walk Stadium Cinemas in East Cobb -- Marlow’s Tavern and Seed Kitchen & Bar are both located in the same shopping center. For Mall of Georgia Star Wars fans, taco the force with FlexMex and margaritas at Tin Lizzy’s Cantina or with all-American favorites at Marlow’s Tavern. A good meal and a movie? A Jedi craves these things.
Are you a student who is passionate about food/wine culture and public relations? We want to meet you! Melissa Libby & Associates is currently seeking interns for the spring 2016 semester. Interns who join the MLA team will work with and learn directly from all agency functions, including media communications, social media, special events and client services. Creativity, positive energy, great writing skills and a strong work ethic are important traits for this internship.
Internships are 15-22 hours per week from January to May. Schedules are fairly flexible, although Monday mornings from 10:30 a.m. to noon are required. Local candidates only! The ideal candidate will also receive school credit for his or her experience with MLA. Interns will be paid a $500 stipend at the completion of the program. To find out more about Melissa Libby & Associates, please visit our website and our Facebook page. If you are interested, please send your resume, cover letter and availability to brandon@melissalibbypr.com. We're looking forward to hearing from you!
‘Tis the season to drop in and share holiday greetings, hugs and a cup or two of cheer with dear friends. When you’re Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland, Atlanta’s longest continuously operating tavern, you have many friends. The best way to show gratitude for each one is to do what comes naturally...throw a Holiday Customer Appreciation Party. Stop by for complimentary drinks and bites this Wednesday, December 16 from 6-7 p.m. Only a Grinch would skip out on this merry evening.
FLIP burger boutique makes it easy to give while you’re receiving on #FLIPGives Day, Wednesday, December 16. Swipe the phone screen over to flash #FLIPGives when ordering FLIP’s scrumptious milkshakes, burgers, sides, salads and other treats on #FLIPGives Day (or show a printout, FLIP’s social media or e-news mention such as The Dish on your phone) and a portion of your bill will flip over to For the Kid in All of Us, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Georgia kids reach their full potential. Since 2003, For the Kid in All of Us has distributed more than 41,500 toys and gift cards, 11,904 backpacks filled with school supplies and gift cards and raised more than $475,000 to donate to numerous agencies and organizations serving Georgia’s less fortunate. Hashtag yourself into the giving from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. at FLIP burger boutique West Midtown and Buckhead locations. Follow along on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The adage “good things come to those who wait” certainly pans out for shoppers buying Legacy Ventures restaurant gift cards in the mad-dash week-before-Christmas shopping crush. Friday, December 18 through Thursday, December 24, score a $100 gift card with every Legacy Ventures $100 gift card purchased at lvmgt.com. Limited to online purchases, the generous offer includes Legacy Ventures restaurants Der Biergarten, Max’s Coal Oven Pizzeria, STATS and Twin Smokers BBQ. Let the other goodie gatherers clog mall parking lots. Savvy givers, steer your cyber sleighs to lvmgt.com for gift cards galore.
‘Tis the peppermint pleasin’ season! Candy canes twirl in “The Nutcracker Suite” ballet, hang from Christmas stockings, adorn gingerbread houses and swizzle holiday cheer. If you’re as hooked on peppermint as we are, our Peppermint Party board is “mint” for you. Peppermint cake rolls, scones, no-bake mocha bites, chocolate poke cake, chocolate chip mint Greek yogurt pops all earn their stripes. Slow cooker peppermint vanilla lattes warm carolers’ hearts, especially dolloped with peppermint whipped cream.
Wholesome Wave Georgia grows a giving spirit all year long by doubling food stamp values for EBT customers who shop at farmers markets. What a win-win situation: healthier meals for those in need and more reasons for local farmers to keep on rowing and hoeing. “Green” donations always welcome. Donate2Double here.
Know someone who embodies the holiday spirit by living generously throughout the year? Inspiring! Nominate them in the Marlow’s Tavern Golden Giver Contest underway through Sunday, December 20. They might win a $100 gift card to Marlow’s Tavern, and you’ll be eligible to win a $100 gift card if your candidate wins. Nominate your Golden Giver here by briefly sharing a bit about why they deserve to win and uploading a picture. Who knows? Their story may reward someone else with ideas on how to live a magnanimous life. To enter on Twitter or Instagram, tag your entry #goldengiver.
Skip fancy paper and bow tying, simply bring a new, unopened, unwrapped toy to Der Biergarten through Saturday, December 19 and receive a free pretzel for your good works. The authentic German restaurant’s giant, warm Riesenbretzels deliver the carbs a body craves this time of year. That said, selecting and giving a toy to delight a child stuck in the hospital over the holidays -- even cheery Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta -- carries a greater feel-good factor. If your body thirsts for more holiday spirits, a lager, marzen, dunkelweiss or glüwein amid Der Biergarten’s fa-la-la-la-lovely decked halls will do the trick.
Walk the walk while the Savory Institute’s Allan Savory and Georgia’s own Will Harris talk the talk about holistic land management at White Oak Pastures on Saturday, December 12 at 1 p.m. Already a leader in sustainability practices, educational outreach and a provider of pasture-raised meats and organic produce, the Bluffton, Georgia farm is now a Southeastern U.S. regional Hub for the Savory Institute. Allan Savory also will speak at Andrew College in Cuthbert, Georgia on Friday, December 11 at 7 p.m. Trek over to our blog for more details and tickets ($30 per person/event).
Tip your hat to The Southern Gentleman for satisfying Sunday dining desires with the addition of brunch way before the dinner bell rings. Executive chef Matthew Ridgway plans the gastropub’s 11 a.m.-3 p.m. brunch to allow folks time to relax, enjoy their Sunday morning routines, meet for a leisurely meal and still have the afternoon free to putz around. Ridgway’s varied brunch menu acknowledges some guests are in morning mode while others have moved on toward noontime fare. Samples include smoked trout rillettes on griddled benne seed toast with crushed field pea hummus, mustard anglaise and smoked caviar ($10); crispy anadama toffee waffles with caramelized bananas ($13); pimento cheese-Dixie bacon omelets with home-fried potatoes ($15); a traditional triple-decker Monte Cristo sandwich with Southern ham, roasted turkey, Swiss cheese and bourbon barrel maple syrup ($16); Maryland deviled crab sandwich ($16) and dessert of caramelized banana and hazelnut bostock French toast ($8). The Southern Gentleman, in The Shops Buckhead Atlanta, also serves lunch Monday through Saturday and dinner nightly. Make reservations online or by calling 404-939-9845. Valet parking is available.
- Sunday, December 13: Kids 12 and under eat free all day with a new toy donation for For the Kid in All of Us. Free meal from the kid’s menu only.
- Monday, December 14: Receive a free gluten-free chocolate oatmeal cookie with purchase of an entrée.
- Tuesday, December 15: Flip a coin after your meal for a chance to receive 25 percent off the food bill; excludes alcohol.
- Wednesday, December 16: Vegas Steak Night features a $12 steak and baked potato plate; while supplies last.
- Thursday, December 17: Toast to $2 poinsettia cocktails at all locations plus Chick-a-Biddy celebrates its second anniversary with DJ music until 12 a.m.
- Friday, December 18: Fork into a free slice of German Black Forest cake with your chicken schnitzel purchase.
- Saturday, December 19: Nab half-priced wings all day.
- Sunday, December 20: Enjoy free pimento cheese with the purchase of an entrée; one per table.
- Monday, December 21: Savor half-priced appetizers all day.
- Tuesday, December 22: $14 buys all-you-can-eat fried chicken tenders with wasabi honey and one side.
- Wednesday, December 23: Fried chicken biscuits are $5 each, all day long.
- Thursday, December 24: Stuff in some $3 sliders, available all day. (Christmas Eve closing times: Bantam + Biddy Crescent - 2 p.m.; Ansley Mall - 3 p.m.; Avalon, Lenox and Chick-a-Biddy - 6 p.m.)
Spin through Atlanta’s in-town neighborhoods with Santa(s) and elves in the 10th annual Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar Santa Ride. Wheeling out from Atlanta’s oldest continuously licensed tavern on Thursday, December 10 at 6:30 p.m., the jaunt’s not about dashing all the way. The social cycling event celebrates both the holiday season and Atkins Park owner Warren Bruno, who lost his battle to lymphoma in 2012. There’s no official entry fee, but a $25 minimum donation to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), Bruno’s charity of choice, is suggested and goes toward the Race Across America (RAAM) Georgia Chain Gang’s fundraising efforts for LLS. Donate to the cause and receive a ticket for a free beer at Atkins Park. While Santa spans the globe on his big night out, Atlanta traffic limits cyclists to a doable eight-mile route that starts and ends at Atkins Park in Virginia-Highland. Because, hey, ride organizers elfishly want to leave plenty of time for toasts, cheer and the post-ride costume contest where one decked-out cyclist will win the coveted Warren Bruno holiday bike. Jingle all the way wearing bells, Santa hats, elf ears, glowing Rudolph noses, reindeer antlers on helmets as well as headlights and handlebar holiday lights. Details, tickets and registration are available online.
Twinkling with more sparkle and shine than the tree, jewelry and accessory boutique Kendra Scott in the Shops Around Lenox is hosting a “Kendra Gives Back Party” on Wednesday, December 9. Enjoy an evening of sips, sweets and shopping knowing 20 percent of all sales during the 6-8 p.m. party will benefit Share Our Strength. Ideal time to pick out a special gift or just the jewels to complete that party outfit. Kendra Scott focuses on “Family, Fashion and Philanthropy” and has an inspiring story to share.
If you’re anxious about choosing gifts for everyone on your list, Atlanta restaurants are offering gift card deals to soothe frazzled shopper nerves. Appetizing gift cards are always the right size and color, and you can treat yourself to a soul-soothing snack and spirit to celebrate a mission accomplished and dollars saved.
Aqua blue adds green: receive a $20 bonus card with purchase of a $100 gift card.
Pastured poultry presents are always welcome for dining in or busy night takeaways. Bantam + Biddy locations (Ansley, Avalon, Crescent, Lenox) as well as Chick-a-Biddy in Atlantic Station add a $10 gift card to every $50 gift card purchase through December 30.
Communitas Hospitality restaurants 10th & Piedmont and HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern are throwing in an extra $20 for every $100 gift card purchased in the restaurants. They’ll add in the extra $20 or put it on a separate gift card to keep or give to someone else. Cards cannot be used the day of purchase.
FLIP burger boutique gift cards and chef Richard Blais’ lighthearted menu thrill traditional and adventurous burger lovers alike. Gift givers also are happy because, during the holidays, FLIP is offering half off $25 gift cards or an added 20 percent value on gift cards more than $25.
Legacy Ventures is offering a limited-time online deal that will be at the top of everyone's wish list. Friday, Dec. 18 through Thursday, Dec. 24, score a $100 gift card for every $100 gift card purchased. Available online only, this offer includes Legacy Ventures restaurants Der Biergarten, Max’s Coal Oven Pizzeria, STATS and Twin Smokers BBQ.
Marlow’s Tavern tacks a bonus $20 onto the purchase of every $100 gift card during December. With restaurant locations near so many Atlanta neighborhoods, a Marlow’s gift card is a surefire solution for anyone on your list.
All four Ray's Restaurants -- Ray's On The River, Ray's At Killer Creek, Ray's In the City and Ray's Rio Bravo -- are including a special gift ($25 value; while supplies last) with all in-restaurant gift card purchases of $100 or more. Additionally, the restaurant group is offering a 20 percent bonus on all gift card purchases of $25-$975 and a 25 percent bonus on all gift card purchases of $1,000 or more now through Jan. 31, 2016. Bonuses will be valid from Feb. 1 through Sept. 30, 2016 (excluding major holidays).
Seed Kitchen & Bar and Stem Wine Bar in East Cobb top off in-store gift card purchases of $50 or more with an added 20 percent value (not valid online). Gift cards are accepted at both Seed Kitchen & Bar and Stem Wine Bar.
Southern Proper Hospitality restaurants offer cards for all tastes. For every $50 gift card purchased until December 31 at The Big Ketch Buckhead, The Big Ketch Roswell,Smokebelly BBQ, Gypsy Kitchen, The Southern Gentleman and Milton's Cuisine & Cocktails, receive a $10 gift card at that restaurant valid through February 29, 2016.
Tin Lizzy’s Cantina Flex-Mex is a much-loved find in every stocking. Every $25 gift card purchase at Tin Lizzy’s earns a $5 off coupon. Give the coupon away to friends or keep for yourself; we won’t tell.
Tonight’s the night to bolster your holiday bag of culinary tricks with a delectable new skill -- pasta making. Bellina Alimentari chef David Berry’s students will learn how to crank out their own fresh pasta with ease during the 6-7 p.m. class. Everyone samples a tasting of the pasta and sauce made in class, and students take home their creations. $20 per person. Sign up for the class, held in the Ponce City Market restaurant and shop’s Culinary Club area, by calling 404-330-9933 or emailing events@bellina-alimentari.com.
Jingle all the way to Redbeard Restaurants to find squeals, steals, meals and more gifts for the foodies on your list during the 12 Days of Beardsmas. Gunpowder finishing salt, Revival’s top-secret fried chicken rub and a private dinner made by chef Kevin—say no more! Stay tuned to Instagram,Twitter and Facebook for #Beardsmas deal-of-the-day videos. And while you’re checking out these sweet deals, don’t forget to donate to Quality Care for Children, a Georgia resource for information, assistance and support in securing high-quality early learning experiences for infants and young children.
Bottle up holiday cheer they can open now or later on in the new year. Foodie Gifts in a Jar are easy to assemble and well appreciated. Mason jar heads unite to prep pasta fagioli, red beans and rice, rosemary focaccia, beer bread, apple pie, Andes Mint dark chocolate cookie mix and 472 meals...in jars.
The Minimalist Baker, home-base Oregon, confirms that simplicity fulfills. On trend requiring 10 ingredients/30 minutes max. Something to ponder over a cup of tea when the inbox bombards you with more, more, more.
