Lean In to Lent with Seafood and Vegetarian Specialties

When Mardi Gras’ excess and fast times roll out, Lenten simplicity and fasting wash in. Atlanta restaurants have their ways with seafood and vegetarian dishes to help Lenten diners stay dedicated all the way to Easter dinner (but that’s another story).
 In Town5Church Atlanta pleases with Midtown lunch and dinner options such as appetizers of ahi tuna poke, charred octopus or butternut squash agnolotti. Lenten lunchers can bite into a crispy beet burger while the dinner crowd can savor a hearth-roasted whole fish. For dessert, save room for the Triple Scoop. Those forgoing meat for Lent can indulge on an elegant dinner of butter-braised lobster with truffle potatoes and broccoli mousseline presented with impeccable service at Aria in Buckhead. At Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland, catch cornbread-crusted Georgia trout, mashed potatoes, green beans and bourbon brown butter apples on the lunch and dinner menus. Weekend brunch throws in fried green tomato Benedict and a vegetarian skillet. Bank on The Federal in Midtown for a satiating lunch or dinner appetizer of chopped chicken liver, toast and cornichons. Midday, make the main thing a veggie grilled sandwich. Come dinnertime, latch onto whole loup de mer with chickpea pancake, fennel, olives, saffron yogurt and bee pollen. Mom would be proud of the HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern Super Food Plate, assembling a very veggie family of Mother Nature salad, fried green tomatoes and sautéed seasonal vegetables for a Midtown dinner. Jefe’s Tacos & Tequila heats up lots of Lenten “Ole!” in Brookhaven with seafood tacos filled with crispy calamari or “Baja fish” with slaw, pico de gallo, guac and serrano tartar sauce; Margarita shrimp tacos with green chili grits, cotija and picante and more. Order a couple of the same or go crazy and order a basket of several varieties.
On Atlanta’s Westside, harvest a veggie bowl at Ormsby's for the garden goodness of butternut squash risotto, asparagus, roasted red peppers and beurre blanc. Lenten diners can stay the course at Revival in Decatur where they’ll find dinner dishes such as local kale salad with apples, charred onion, artisan cheese and boiled dressing and savory Sunday brunch specialties such as cornmeal fried catfish served with smoked cheddar grits, milk gravy and hot sauce or a French-style omelette with soft herb cheese and roasted mushroom jus. OTPIn East Cobb, a stop at Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar at the Avenue East Cobb nets oysters from North American waters and at the Raw Bar, wood-roasted octopus as a starter and those luscious lobster rolls. Stop in for lunch or dinner or a relaxing Sunday brunch. At Seed Kitchen & Bar, white corn grit fritters with jalapeño pepper jelly and Thomasville tome spice up Lenten lunches and dinners. Bay of Fundy salmon with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, melted leeks and truffle vinaigrette fills the bill come dinnertime. At neighboring Stem Wine Bar, choose non-meat small plates like Gulf shrimp al ajillo with garlic, chili, parsley, lemon and extra virgin olive oil and Spanish octopus braised in red wine with fava beans, Fresno chili and spring onion vinaigrette. Multiple LocationsMarlow’s Tavern offers seafood selections to please any appetite including “AB Style” Firecracker Shrimp with Tempura Fried Shrimp, Red Bell Peppers, Pepperoncini, Sweet Chili and Cracklin’ Spicy Sauce and Crispy Pan Roasted Rainbow Trout, with Sauteed Farro, Tiny Green Beans, Parsnip, Buerre Blanc and Apple Shallot Gastrique. Items available at all locations.
Willy’s Mexicana Grill wraps up burritos to please, and tofu steps in perfectly when meat is off your list for Lent. Or, ask for Willy’s salad topped with black beans, pico de gallo, black olives, cucumbers, roasted red peppers and jack cheese. All locations. While fish fries are popular on Fridays during Lent, Taco Mac locations turn out beer-battered fish tacos daily that are plump with SweetWater 420 beer-battered North Atlantic cod, ancho chili aioli, house-made slaw and mango pico de gallo. Is that much fun allowed in a meal?

Answer is: HOBNOB’s New Trivia Season Starts Feb. 28

Without question, HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern hosts Midtown’s smartest Tuesday nights. Longtime trivia fiends and newbies can join in the enlightenment when HOBNOB’s new trivia season begins Feb. 28. Outspoken Entertainment runs the Q&A showdown every Tuesday night starting at 8 p.m. Start off with a correct answer in your think tank by following HOBNOB on Facebook and looking for the “free” answer they’ll share every Tuesday.

Fat Tuesday Finds

Today’s the day, Fat Tuesday is here! Pile on the po’boys, jambalaya, king cake, hurricanes and NOLA brews. We unmask Mardi Gras specials at Jefe’s Tacos & Tequila, Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar and more on our blog.

What’s New on Pinterest: Let the Good Times Roll!

Let the Good Times Roll! First, mix a Jazzy Sazerac, the official cocktail of NOLA, to set the Mardi Gras theme while looking through 32 New Orleans classics for Mardi gras (muffulettas and beyond), netting a drunk shrimp recipe, and learning how to flip crawfish into crawfish dip and crawfish étouffée. We share the list of best New Orleans po’boy joints, a traditional king cake recipe, gumbos, pralines and fun stuff like Mardi Gras snack mix and cookies. Hurricanes? Beignets? You betcha.

Secrets Revealed! “Secret Stash Bash” Pours Rare Brews at Taco Mac Prado March 11

Covert operations by brewers? Beer nerds (and we say that with affection) will hop at this opp to try rare beers from the secret collections of 24 breweries united at one event – the “Secret Stash Bash” at Taco Mac’s Prado location on Saturday, March 11. These are those elusive beers you hear of, but think, “Surely, they’ll be hard to find.” So true, yet Taco Mac has done it, finding those beers -- cellared, barrel-aged, blended, Brett, wild and all those in between -- along with brewery brethren for some stout talking. Buy tickets via Xorbia: $40 each for general admission session 1 (1-3:30 p.m.) or general admission session 2 (4:30-7 p.m.).

Eat and Drink What You Want, It’s Fat Tuesday

Bead up and hold on to your king cake and hurricanes. Fat Tuesday is here, tossing restraint to the wind like Mardi Gras trinkets from a Carnival parade krewe float. Speaking of krewes, pull one together, think office buds or friends looking for an excuse to get together, and roll into Atlanta restaurants celebrating with all the bold flavors, bright colors and livin’ out loud libations of the season.

Say “Hola!” to NOLA in Brookhaven thanks to Fat Tuesday revelry at Jefe’s Tacos & Tequila. “Krewes” in for colorful beads, thick gumbo, a bar awash with powerful hurricanes and more Mardi Gras-themed food and drink specials.

Party your face off (or Mardi Gras mask in this case) all day long at  Party your face off (or Mardi Gras mask in this case) all day long at  Party your face off (or Mardi Gras mask in this case) all day long at Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland. Fat Tuesday’s menu rowdies up jambalaya, gumbo and shrimp and oyster po’boys. The bar krewe is eager to pull Abita Purple Haze drafts and swirl up hurricanes all night. Indulge in a slice of king cake; the guest holding the baby in his or her slice has an opportunity to win a $20 Atkins Park gift card.

#Foodgram: @eater_nola

Those letting the good times roll them southward to NOLA for Mardi Gras should first roll the culinary cursor over to @eater_nola to see what’s tops on the New Orleans food scene. This Eater site shares diner-snapped pics as well as Eater NOLA’s own. Just as Bourbon Street’s an eye-opener, this album’s an eye-opener to the wide variety of Cajun and global foods available for the eatin’ in the Crescent City.

Appetizing Aperture

Who’s the keeper of the secret cake recipe in your household? Carrot cake has graced the menu at Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails for 10 years, and it’s gluten free. Becoming nostalgic about carrot cake sends executive chef Derek Dollar back in time to reminiscing Sundays spent baking with his mother. Dollar’s interpretation swaps chickpea and rice flours for wheat flour and adds pineapple for luscious flavor and moistness. Share the recipe? Not happening. Cheer up, carrot cake crowd. There’s plenty to go around at Milton’s and the cake’s always a hit at Milton’s private events such as weddings, showers and birthday parties. 

Matthew Ridgway Plans Steamy Visit to Guest Chef at Little Trouble Monday Bunday Feb. 27

“Bun’s” the word for Matthew Ridgway, executive chef at Gypsy Kitchen and The Southern Gentleman restaurants in The Shops Buckhead Atlanta. On Monday, Feb. 27, Ridgway takes a one-night hiatus from his sunny Spain and Southern kitchens to create a signature steamed bun for Westside restaurant-lounge Little Trouble’s weekly “Bunday.” Little Trouble happily provides the delicious steamed buns to cushion the guest chef’s creation. Ridgway’s stunning buns, along with drink specials, will be offered alongside the regular menu from 5 p.m. until “late.”

Sweet Charlie’s Rolls Ice Cream Experience into Buckhead Late Spring

Sweet Charlie’s, the Philadelphia-based/Thai-inspired, rolled ice cream and yogurt phenomenon rolls its first-ever franchise location into Buckhead (3872 Roswell Road, next to Superica) this spring. The young brand features the hand-rolled, made-to-order dessert sensation Forbes recently dubbed “the cool new trend in Asian sweets.” Sweet Charlie’s is the brainchild of 19-year-old entrepreneur Kyle Billig, who learned about Thai-rolled ice while watching a video and teamed up with older brother Jacob to Americanize the treat. Order and watch American showmanship kick in to create a one-of-a-kind treat based on either premium ice cream, nonfat yogurt or the company’s Nada-Moo vegan option, served in a cup or one of Sweet Charlie’s signature oven-baked glazed donuts and capped with one of its signature flavors or toppings. Because the creation-making surface is below 20 degrees, there is no need to add stabilizers, emulsifiers and preservatives. According to CFO Steve Billig, “In Philadelphia, people stand in line in the freezing cold for our rolled ice cream.” Wow. Just imagine the thrill for Sunbelt ice s’creamers!

Go Off-Menu with Monday-Wednesday Dining Specials at Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails

Dine out early in the week at Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails in historic Crabapple and take advantage of executive chef Derek Dollar’s Monday through Wednesday dinner specials highlighting seasonal bounty. On Monday, sink teeth into a half rack of baby back ribs, Coca-Cola baked beans, bacon-braised collard greens and GA red barbecue sauce ($20). Tuesday serves up half of an applewood-smoked chicken, sweet and spicy cucumber-melon salad, stewed tomato kale and mango-peach chutney ($18). Wednesday hooks a grouper fish fry with cracked mustard coleslaw, blue cheese sweet potato tots and comeback sauce ($19). At your right hand, Milton’s featured smoked praline old fashioned ($10) is made with house-infused smoked pecan bourbon, caramel syrup and black walnut bitters, served on a king ice cube. Open for dinner at 5 p.m.; book a table online or call 770-817-0161.

What’s New on Pinterest: Rise and Shine for Hot Breakfast Time

Cold winter mornings and cold cereal are frankly frigid wake-up thoughts. Instead, Rise and Shine for Hot Breakfast Time during National Hot Breakfast Month. Before venturing out, warm tummies with cheesy grits with spinach and fried eggs, sausage biscuits and gravy skillet cobbler, American breakfast tacos or savory oatmeal and soft-cooked egg. We’ve found frittatas galore and perfect omelettes that are “da bomb-lette” when filled with pesto and roasted tomatoes. Park the pancake mix box in favor of brown sugar pancakes with maple bacon butter, cinnamon roll pancakes and churro waffles. And if hot breakfast brunches into lunch, so be it.

Carve Out Time for $52 Sunday Prime Rib Dinner at American Cut

Sunday’s Prime Rib Dinner at American Cut is made for celebrating a week well spent or pausing to share a fine dinner and conversation before the new week throttles up. Buckhead’s classic American steakhouse with a modern twist now serves a two-course prix fixe menu for $52 per person (excludes tax and gratuity) from 4-9 p.m. each Sunday. Start dreaming of the juicy title cut, 12 ounces of succulent, dry-aged prime rib served with beef jus and horseradish sauce. Open up with a first course of either OG 1924 Hotel Caesar salad with Parmigiano-Reggiano, soft egg and Pullman crouton or Beeler’s Farm bacon with MF steak sauce and black onion. To complement your prime rib, choose a side from the menu’s scrumptious offerings such as mashed sweet potatoes with maple and pecans; potato purée “Robuchon;” twice-baked potato with cheddar and truffle; AC hash browns; beef fat fries with AC secret sauce; button mushrooms with garlic butter; carrot glazed carrot; sunchoked spinach with fontina and smoked salt; roasted Brussels sprouts with Parmesan and aged balsamic; collard greens with pecans and pork; Georgia Vidalia onion rings or pimento-studded mac and cheese. Savor this experience in the main dining room, but why not begin with a cocktail or glass of wine at the first floor bar or crown your meal contemplating a cocktail or spirit from the comfy seating of the rooftop Regent Cocktail Club overlooking Peachtree Street. Set off for the week pleasingly full, renewed and ready to conquer whatever weekdays throw your way.

Appetizing Aperture

Is it a sin for a cinnamon roll to weigh a half pound? Not if it’s on the Sunday brunch menu at Revival, Kevin Gillespie’s Decatur restaurant. Thank heaven the old-fashioned warm cinnamon roll ($8) blanketed with oozy buttermilk frosting is easy to spot on the menu -- between homemade baked goods with honey butter and preserves and Revival’s cathead biscuit with spicy sawmill gravy. Righteous!

#Foodgram: Closet Cooking

So your kitchen is, ahem, slightly smaller than the behemoths spreading across magazine centerfolds? Closer to closet or wardrobe sized? Well then, Closet Cooking is your new hang out, and Kevin Lynch (no kin to Jamie Lynch) is your new best kitchen bud for expanding cooking horizons.

Five-Time Grammy Winner and Gospel Legend Eric “Ricky” McKinnie, Paul Beasley and Revival Southern Buffet Grace Eddie’s Attic Gospel Brunch Feb. 19

Count Sunday Gospel Brunch at Eddie’s Attic in Decatur among the blessings of Atlanta living, providing a harmonious blend of authentic gospel music, some Mardi Gras spirit and a finger-licking good buffet of Southern victuals from Revival. Eric “Ricky” McKinnie and Paul Beasley of the legendary Grammy Award-winning gospel group The Blind Boys of Alabama team up with Atlanta blues master Mudcat and the Atlanta Horns Sunday, Feb. 19. Doors open at noon; show begins at 1 p.m. General admission tickets are $20 each or purchase table seats in multiples of four for $20 per seat. All-you-can-eat brunch buffet from Revival chef Andreas Müller is an additional $24 and includes coffee, soda and tea. Buy brunch tickets day of show; tax and gratuity extra. Say, “Amen!” to more info on our blog.

Chef and Restaurateur Marc Taft Forms Southern Fried Hospitality

When folks are flocking to your flagship restaurant and two new restaurant concepts are soon to emerge from the oven, it’s time to start a family. Executive chef and restaurateur Marc Taft has created a restaurant management company called Southern Fried Hospitality to provide management and development for his three restaurants --Chicken and the Egg, Brine Seafood Shack (debuting spring 2017 in Alpharetta’s Avalon) and FEED – Fried Chicken & Such (scheduled to open March 2017 in The Battery Atlanta adjacent to SunTrust Park). Taft anticipates offering consulting services in the future. Joining Taft on Southern Fried Hospitality’s management team are vice president of operations Tom Foust, formerly of Rathbun’s and Chicken and the Egg, and director of operations Fran Kieffer, who has worked at Chicken and the Egg, Rio Bravo, The Tavern at Phipps and Einstein’s Restaurant. The trio served in management positions for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants earlier in their careers, and they’re delighted to direct their combined management experience toward establishing a unique corporate culture, exceptional service standards and memorable dining experiences. While Alabama native Taft leans in on Southern fare, he’s spreading wings to other concepts through Southern Fried Hospitality. Family traits ring true: Southern heritage will continue to influence brands; great care will go into sourcing ingredients -- whether we’re talking sustainable, Southern California-style seafood outlined by the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch for Brine, modern farmstead fare at Chicken and the Egg or fast-casual fried chicken and Southern sides at FEED; and people, both talented employees and devoted guests play a big role.

Tip Back a Tito’s Mule and Southern Proper Donates to No Kid Hungry

Meet some really smart mules, Tito’s Mules. They’re at all Southern Proper Hospitality restaurants. Why so smart? Each Tito’s Mule cocktail ($10) sold packs a double, no, triple punch by quenching thirsts with a blend of Tito’s vodka, fresh squeezed lime and ginger beer AND by sending two donations to No Kid Hungry. Both Southern Proper and Tito’s will donate $1 to No Kid Hungry for each Tito’s Mule purchased at Gypsy Kitchen, The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill, Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails, The Southern Gentleman and Smokebelly BBQ. Harness the power of this intelligent, do-good cocktail choice. Introduce a couple of friends to Tito’s Mules and toast your multi-tasking skills. Enjoying more Tito’s Mules adds up to more money for No Kid Hungry. Promotion runs through March 31.

Songs for Kids Foundation Food + Music Festival Chefs and Musicians Feed, Engage, Inspire and Entertain on Feb. 25

Spend the afternoon, evening or both at the Songs for Kids Foundation Food + Music Festival on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Park Tavern, adjacent to Piedmont Park. Singing and supping prevail from 1-5 p.m. when guests can sing praises over food and drink tastings from more than 25 top Atlanta chefs including Shaun Doty of The Federal, Gunshow executive chef Joey Ward and Revival executive sous chef Rémi Granger. Entertainment flows as well through live celebrations of hits from artists like Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen, performances by SFK artists and kids from hospital programs, special kids activity zones, and silent and live auctions offering everything from private chef dining experiences to vacations, concerts, spa packages and sports memorabilia. Rock on into the night when Shaky Knees Festival presents an evening concert lineup featuring David Shaw plus Matt Myers of Houndmouth and Friends & Family. Doors open at 7 p.m. for the 8 p.m. Park Tavern concert. Pick the Xorbia ticket option that works for you: daytime food festival ($45 adults/$10 ages 16 and under), evening concert (all ages, $25 per person in advance/$30 at door) or combo ($65 adults/$35 ages 16 and under).
 Songs For Kids Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2007 with a mission to enrich the lives of children suffering from illness and hardship. SFK integrates musicians, year round, into the lives of kids inside and outside of children’s hospitals and special needs camps through live interactive concerts, hospital bedside performances and the Songs For Kids Records songwriting and recording program

5Church, Drift and Himitsu to Shake Up Highball at the High Mixology Competition Feb. 18

Fifteen mixologists compete in a barroom battle stiffer than a straight shot when the High Museum of Art swizzles its first Highball on Saturday, Feb. 18. Jose Pereiro of Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar, Greta Buccellato of 5Church Atlanta and Ben Yabrow of Himitsu are among the cocktail movers and shakers crafting boozy creations and competing drink for drink. Sample craft cocktails, nibble bar bites, relax with music and activities and cast your vote for top cocktailer. Proceeds from the 7:30-11 p.m. mixer pour into a top-shelf cause, the High Museum of Art. Buy tickets online -- $100 per museum member (must login), $125 nonmembers.

Vote 5Church Executive Chef Jamie Lynch for “Top Chef” Fan Favorite

Bravo Network “Top Chef” devotees! Vote for 5Church executive chef/partner Jamie Lynch as your #TopChef Fan Favorite. Vote up to 40 times each week to propel Lynch to win the title of “Top Chef” Fan Favorite. S. Pellegrino Sparking Natural Mineral Water will fill the winner’s cup with $10K. To vote, jump to Bravotv.com via desktop or mobile device or text your favorite chef’s name – Lynch, we hope -- to 27286. Read official rules here. One reason Lynch is our pick for “Top Chef” Fan Favorite is his humility in “taking one for the team,” which moved him off “Top Chef” and into “Last Chance Kitchen,” as mentioned in this interview.  View “Watch What Happens Live” on March 2 at 10 p.m. (EST) to see if the winner is a talented newcomer or returning chef. 5Church shows episodes of “Top Chef” in the bar area starting at 9 p.m. each Thursday evening. Who knows? Maybe your “Top Chef” Fan Favorite will be there!

Sweetheart, Let’s Eat! Loving These Valentine’s Day Dining Ideas

Woo, woo, Valentine’s Day is today, sweet and simple. Atlanta restaurants get to the heart of the matter, with dining options that suit sweethearts yet also appeal to close friends and those loving going solo. Satisfy desires with prix fixe menus for two, lovely à la carte specials, a special Breckenridge Brewery tapping at Taco Mac, a bring-a-Valentine freebie offer at Willy’s Mexicana Grill and plenty a-more. Follow cupid to our blog for our luscious list complete with phone numbers and websites for making connections.

What’s New on Pinterest: Sweets for Your Sweetie

Sending out copious XOXs to our sweet readers for Valentine’s Day! Alas, we can’t email the Rice Krispies treat version so we tacked the recipe for ombre-colored Xs and Os onto Sweets for Your Sweetie, our Valentine treat board. Trifling with you? Nope. We do pin chocolate Baileys truffles, a racy red velvet dessert lasagna and cupcakes with captivating chardonnay buttercream frosting. Lovable Teddy Grahams hugging conversation hearts will give the kids something to talk about. Brides out there in the “heart” lands, flag this blissful board for wedding favor ideas.

#Foodgram: Erin Wysocarski

Erin Wysocarski @olivesfordinner addresses the question, “What’s an ethical vegan to eat?” Her answers appear in photos of vegan seafood, matcha seaweed bowls, copycat recipes and vegan street food like buttermilk fried tofu. For recipes, till the blog.

Appetizing Aperture

Super Bowl LI is in the history books, but Souper Combos live on at Willy’s Mexicana Grill. The fired-up duo pairs heartwarming tortilla soup with a crispy grilled cheese quesadilla for $7.95. Soft flour tortillas are stuffed with cheese and served with pico de gallo, cool sour cream, fresh-baked chips and salsa bar. Everyone’s cheering for this winter winner!

The Farmers Feast is the Culinary Highlight at 20th Annual Georgia Organics Conference on Feb. 18 – Buy Tickets Today

Wipe your chin and dig The Farmers Feast, the legendary culinary shindig capping the 20^th Annual Georgia Organics Conference & Expo at the Georgia International Convention Center Feb. 17-18. Some of Atlanta’s best chefs come together to create an epic dinner of organic food from local farmers on Saturday, Feb. 18. After the plow-to-chow feast, guests will become more acquainted with Georgia’s farmers, educators, chefs and organic community members as they watch the debut of a short documentary made especially for Georgia Organics’ 20^th anniversary. Then, guests will boogie till the cows come home to tunes from DJ Fifthwurld, a.k.a. farmer services coordinator Tenisio Seanima. This year’s buzz is you can buy a ticket to the feast without attending the conference. Click through the registration portal to purchase Farmers Feast tickets, $75 per person, through Feb. 17.

Embrace Atlanta Restaurants for Sweet Valentine’s Day Eatings

Zing! Our blog targets Atlanta’s delicious Valentine’s Day hot spots from elegant to casual to quick carry outs perfect for those cuddling up over dinner on that comfy couch at home. And, if you can’t be with the one you love on Valentine’s Day, well, these Atlanta restaurants are also quite lovely places to sit down together the rest of the year.

Buck-a-Shuck Oysters and $5 Punch Beacon Way to Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar Oyster Happy Hour

Oyster shuckers have their own tried-and-true techniques for prying open the best East and West Coast bivalves around. Give it up for Oyster Happy Hour at Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar at The Avenue East Cobb, where oyster experts open ‘em right up so guests can slurp half-priced oysters on the half shell and suck down oodles of the $1 (Buck-a-Shuck) “Oyster of the Day.” All hands are on deck for $5 house punch. Ecstatic already? Remember these briny fine oyster prolific hours: Monday-Friday from 5-7 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday from 3-5 p.m.

Southern Proper Hospitality Food Drive Weighs in with 765 Meals for ACFB

Atlantans came through in a big can-do way, contributing more than 917 pounds of canned goods during a holiday food drive sponsored by Southern Proper Hospitality for the Atlanta Community Food Bank (ACFB). In dining terms, that adds up to 765 meals! Contributors received a $15 off restaurant coupon when turning in five of the needed non-perishable items at Gypsy Kitchen, The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill, Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails, The Southern Gentleman and Smokebelly BBQ. Food drive or not, the ACFB always welcomes donations at acfb.org.

Taco Mac Breckenridge Beer Dinner Skis into Sandy Springs Feb. 7

Need a brisk ski lift to Breckenridge? Go slope side to a Breckenridge Beer Dinner partnering five courses with beers from Colorado’s third-oldest brewery. Taco Mac hosts the 6 p.m. dinner at the Georgia Chapter Room in Sandy Springs on Tuesday, Feb. 7. On tap: grilled eggplant bruschetta with chocolate orange stout; duck gumbo served alongside vanilla porter; agave nectar ahi salad served with Well Built ESB; sweet onion and pork ravioli paired with salted caramel brown ale; and nightcapped by brûléed bleu cheesecake with Citra Hopped IPA. Buy tickets on Xorbia. $50 general admission; save $10 when buying two or more tickets.

Chew Fast. Taco Mac Launches Limited-Time-Only Menu Feb. 8

Taco Mac wants to know if you can say “beer-battered bacon burger” 10 times fast. Why so fast? Because the double beef-pattied burger -- topped with American cheese, house-made bourbon-onion jam and beer-battered strips of crispy bacon made with SweetWater 420 beer batter -- is one of the four mouthwatering items on the limited-time-only menu at all of the restaurant’s locations. Joining the beer-battered bacon burger are mozzarella sticks, back by popular demand and served with house-made marinara for dipping; a fresh-baked jumbo pretzel served with New Belgium Fat Tire beer cheese and spicy mustard; and Taco Mac’s award-winning roasted wings. So you’ll know, these wings are fresh, never frozen, seasoned and baked to a crispy perfection. Lower in calories than fried wings, they’re available tossed in any of Taco Mac’s wing sauces or dry rubs. Don’t tarry. Time’s a wasting (February’s a short month anyway), and these tempters will slip away soon.

What’s New on Pinterest:Gameday Raves & Faves

Wings deserve special game table reverence on Super Bowl Sunday this year. Go, Atlanta Falcons! Gameday Raves & Faves runs long with other crowd-approved noshes and libations that leave one hand free for “Rise Up!” cheers. Dunk chips or crudité into hot corn dip or one disguised as a football field. Jalapeños are hot stuff in popper dip and grilled pepper poppers. Veer toward sideline snacks like Parmesan-crusted shrimp quesadillas, Maryland crab dip, spinach artichoke dip mini bread bowls, spicy Italian sandwiches and corn dog muffins. Irish coffee and Frito candy hit the sweet spot.

#Foodgram: Hungry Twins

Here are two gals who admit, “The only person that eats more than one girl is her twin sister.” These Hungry Twins are well fed and partial to anything with “chocoLOT” in it, from ice cream to waffle and pancake toppers to Oreo ice cream plus extra Oreos in a big Oreo ice cream sandwich. Twin-spiration with witty puns (i.e. “Not eating this (beef tenderloin) would be a big miSTEAK.”) and yums.

Appetizing Aperture

Valentine’s Day addresses the “dears” of our lives. The Federal in Midtown handles the deer. Succulent West Texas venison is masterful in its own right, joined by cheese pierogi, red cabbage, sour cherries and leek ash butter ($38). It’s magnificent.

Georgia Restaurant Association Recognizes Good Neighbor Restaurants, Including Ray’s Restaurants, Sterling Spoon Hospitality, Hojeij Branded Foods and Willy’s Mexicana Grill

The word’s out, the Georgia Restaurant Association (GRA) has announced the 2017 Restaurant Neighbor award state recipients. We’re not surprised that Ray’s Restaurants, Sterling Spoon Hospitality, Hojeij Branded Foods and Willy’s Mexicana Grill comprise four of the five Georgia winners. Congratulations to these restaurants for being, well, such good neighbors in Georgia communities.

Ray Schoenbaum and Ray’s on the River have supported Fragile Kids Foundation each year since 1988 through events at the riverside restaurant, including the Tastings Under the Tent fundraiser and an annual Santa breakfast. John C. Metz and Sterling Spoon Hospitality have raised more than $730k for Special Olympics Georgia since the partnership began. The 2016 golf tournament alone raised $95k. Nourishment ranks high on the list for Metz and Sterling Spoon, evident in hosting fundraising events for the Atlanta Community Food Bank and participating in the annual Hunger Run/Walk as well as the annual dine-out event for Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign. In 2015, Regynald Washington of Hojeij Branded Foods gave a $1 million endowment to the Cecil B. Day School of Hospitality Administration at Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business to go toward graduate student scholarships, enhancing global experiences and expanding teaching technology. Since 2014, Willy Bitter and Willy’s Mexicana Grill have actively sponsored the Boys & Girls Club, supporting the annual “Salsa, Salsa” culinary challenge and Healthy Lifestyles Garden Program. When Willy’s anniversary rolls around, the restaurants raise money for the Boys & Girls Club, pulling in $20k in 20 days in 2015 and $21k in 21 days in 2016.

From all state winners, three national Restaurant Neighbor Award winners are chosen by industry professionals and are honored in Washington, D.C. in March 2017 during the National Restaurant Association’s Public Affairs Conference.

Give Boring Lunches the Boot – Storico Fresco Alimentari e Ristorante To-Go Orders Please One, Two or the Whole Office

Brown bag or sunny Italy? Betting Italy wins on the office lunch poll. Order lunch to go at Storico Fresco Alimentari e Ristorante in Buckhead. Turn the conference table into a communal table and enjoy lunch together like one big family. Say “Viva Italia!” to antipasti like callipo tuna with cannellini beans, lemon olive oil, red onion and parsley ($13) or an assortment of arancini fried rice balls ($12). Pasta, all freshly made at Storico Fresco, satiates winter comfort food needs with specialties of tagliatelle alla Bolognese with classic beef, pork and veal ragu ($13) or pi fasaac with ricotta, spinach, Grana Padano filling and brown butter sage ($12). Pressing matters at hand? Pick up a panini like focaccia with mortadella, mozzarella di bufala and arugula ($10); ceci with chickpea puree, braised greens, red onion and mozzarella di bufala ($10); or the invernale with broccolini, winter squash, radicchio, red onion and Woodsman & Wife ricotta ($11). Storico Fresco has something for everyone, even ones who want to fly solo and enjoy a quiet Italian retreat lunching in their own office or cubicle.

Fall in Love with Breckenridge Brewery -- Taco Mac February Beer of the Month – and special Valentine’s Day Tapping of Whiskey Barrel-Aged Breckenridge 471 IPA

Breckenridge Brewery skis into Taco Mac as February’s beer-of-the-month, available at all Taco Mac locations. Valentine’s Day becomes even “hoppier” beginning at 11 a.m. on Feb. 14. That’s when Taco Mac taps into a special whiskey barrel-aged Breckenridge 471 IPA dry-hopped with Citra, one of Breckenridge’s annual IPAs. Kiss this sweetheart at all locations except Philips Arena and Stockbridge.

Buy a Bottle of Wine, Choose a Free Appetizer during Milton’s Corks & Forks Promo Sunday through Thursday

Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails has popped the top on their new “Corks & Forks” promotion. Bar area guests who buy a bottle of wine Sunday through Thursday will receive a complimentary appetizer of their choice from the menu. Warm crab dip or the chef’s signature pimento cheese “dip,” sweet potato shrimp fritters, smoked duck confit and deviled farm eggs with avocado and Applewood smoked bacon are among the app options. Milton’s wine list pulls in an abundance of great “grapes” from all over the globe — California, Oregon, France, Spain, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and other wine locales. 

That Loving Feeling – Knowing You Have Valentine’s Day Restaurant Reservations

Cards, so cute. Chocolates, so sweet. If you really want hugs, whisk your Val out to eat.  Make reservations early for hearty Valentine’s Day and weekend specials at Atlanta’s loveliest restaurants. Our blog’s your main squeeze for menu info. Menu prices do not reflect tax or gratuity.

Cibo di Strada (Street Food) Menu Parks at Storico Fresco Feb. 6-18

Perfecto! Eat like a roamin’ Roman when Rome-based street food chefs and Ape Fritto food truck operators David Argenti and Fabrizio Masciotti visit Storico Fresco Alimentari e Ristorante Monday, Feb. 6- through Saturday, Feb. 18 for a special Cibo di Strada (translation, “street food”) menu. Alas, the two friends and former colleagues of Storico Fresco co-owner Pietro Gianni are leaving their vintage, three-wheel yellow Piaggio utility truck in Italy. They’re packing their skills though, so Atlantans can experience all the golden goodness of fritto -- Italian fried delicacies. Start salivating for traditional suppli (stuffed rice fritters) -- cacio e pepe and all’amatriciana; delizie cacio e ovo --  mini pasta with pecorino, bread, egg, parsley and tomato sugo; and baccalà (salt cod) in three batter versions -- traditional flour and water, mint and pistachios, and cinnamon. Sink teeth into pizzelle (mini fried pizza) fashioned with tomato sugo, Parmesan and basil; ricotta salata and honey; or ricotta fresca and pancetta. Sing wing praises over pollo fritto -- Italian-style fried wings and drums with spices and marinade. Add the crunch of patatine (homemade spiced chips) in sea salt, paprika, rosemary and cacio e pepe flavors. Ape Fritto prices range from $7-$18. Reservations can be made by calling the restaurant at 404-500-2181 or visiting OpenTable

Atlanta Falcons Rise Up for Super Bowl Action Feb. 5. Strategize Take-Away and Game-Day Viewing Options Now

Super Bowl LI is only a few days away. With the Atlanta Falcons taking the field, fans will want to catch every great gridiron moment. What’s your game plan, as far as fan fare and viewing? Take the weight off of home or clubhouse party planning by ordering take-away wings, barbecue, sides and other nourishing noshes. And if the crew wants 50-yard line seats that are a lot closer to the bar, big screens and real food, well Atlanta restaurants soar with scores of game-day specials. Land a first down on our blog for details.

What’s New on Pinterest:Lotta Hot Chocolate

Lotta Hot Chocolate has us going loco over cocoa. Prep here for National Hot Chocolate Day, Jan. 31. Dunk puff pastry cinnamon sticks in Mexican hot cocoa. Make and wrap up hot chocolate on a stick or hot chocolate spoons for sweet gifts. Hot chocolate floats with ice cream are pretty cool, as is “Serendipity” frozen hot chocolate. Hotties? Got those, too: s’mores, caramel, peppermint, cookies and cream, pink or red velvet, cardamom rose and mug shots of many more.

#Foodgram: Southern Fatty

Bow ties, midnight baking sessions, food photographer. Phillip, a.k.a. @SouthernFatty, is a food- and travel-loving Southerner outta Nashville, Tennessee. And he likes jalapeños on his pimento cheese chicken biscuits. Hot stuff. Can you handle it?

Appetizing Aperture

Instead of saying “Cowabunga,” exclaim “Calabaza!” If you’re at Jefe’s Tacos and Tequila in Brookhaven, Calabaza tacos are on the way. Corn tortillas hug butternut squash, kale, beech mushrooms, pepitas and chili honey brown butter ($3.25 each). The next question is, “How many?”

HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern to Open in Town Brookhaven

Known for its tavern fare with a Southern flair, HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern is opening a second location in Town Brookhaven this May. The newest location will be located in the former Smash Kitchen & Bar space, bringing tavern specialties, signature cocktails and an expansive bourbon selection to Brookhaven.

Break Bread with Revival, Eddie’s Attic, Gospel Legend Eric “Ricky” McKinnie and Paul Beasley at Gospel Brunch Feb. 19

Gospel and good times swing into Eddie’s Attic for a Gospel Brunch with Revival on Sunday, Feb. 19. Sway to five-time Grammy Award winner Eric “Ricky” McKinnie, Paul Beasley of The Blind Boys of Alabama and Mudcat & the Atlanta Horns inside Eddie’s historic listening room. Top off the uplifting experience by giving thanks for a generous, all-you-can-eat buffet line of Southern favorites from Revival executive chef Andreas Müller. Buffet, $24 per person, includes coffee, soda and tea; tax and gratuity extra; brunch tickets available for purchase day of show. Doors open at noon and show begins at 1 p.m. General admission tickets are $20 each or purchase table seats in multiples of four for $20 per seat (tables filled day of show on a first-come, first-served basis).

First 50 Guests Eat Free -- Willy’s Mexicana Grill Rolls Out First Cartersville Location Jan. 30

Better Burritos for Bartow! Once Willy’s starts rolling those burritos, there’s no stopping…even at county lines. Willy’s Mexicana Grill opens its first Bartow County location on Monday, Jan. 30, in Main Street Marketplace at 625 East Main Street and is doling out a free burrito and drink for the first 50 people in the store when doors open at 11 a.m. The newest location, open 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily, will serve lunch and dinner and offer online ordering and convenient catering via pick-up and delivery services. Guests can chow down on Willy’s favorites such as Baja and Frito burritos and pimento cheese quesadillas, all made to order with fresh, never frozen, produce and meats. Salsas and guac are made fresh daily as well. Willy’s homemade lemonades -- in flavors like raspberry, mango and prickly pear -- are perfect complements.

How About “Havana” Mojito and Mofongo? Papi’s Cuban Grill Opens Newest Location in Emory Point Jan. 30

Home-style Cuban cuisine, Cuban coffee, Cuban rum cocktails and the island nation’s vibrant culture have found their sunny spot in Decatur. Papi’s Cuban Grill, a longtime Atlanta favorite, opens its newest location on Monday, Jan. 30 in the Emory Point mixed-use development. The new restaurant serves lunch and dinner daily, just like the six other Papi’s locations throughout the metro-Atlanta area. Owner Reynaldo “Rey” Regalado, who immigrated from the Santiago de Cuba province almost 30 years ago, uses family recipes and fresh, authentic ingredients to prepare Cuban specialties like pollo vaca frita (shredded chicken breast grilled with Spanish seasoning and green and red peppers), mofongo con camerones (stir-fried shrimp with red and green peppers) and arroz con pollo (a traditional Cuban dish of marinated chicken and rice). For Papi’s signature authentic Cuban sandwich, roast pork is first marinated in special seasoning for more than 24 hours then slow-roasted for another four hours before being tucked into fresh-baked Cuban bread alongside ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles and a touch of mustard and mayo and pressed to perfection. Lunchers can enjoy a daily lunch special for a value price of $7.75. Papi’s beverage menu quenches thirsts with hand-squeezed juices, Cuban milkshakes, tropical smoothies and Cuban coffees, craft beers, wine by the glass, cocktails and more. And those hand-muddled mojitos? Coming right up. Don’t mind havin’ another.

Come Out of Your Shell! Join KUDU Grills and Chefs in Raising Funds for Oyster Farmers at 2017 Alabama Oyster Social Jan. 28

Some of the South’s most influential chefs, purveyors and distillers will rub elbows this weekend to put on a pearl of a party, the 2017 Alabama Oyster Social on Saturday, Jan. 28 in Auburn, Alabama. Slide in and visit tasting tables featuring Southern fishermen, foragers, farmers, brewers, butchers, distillers, vintners and shellfish enthusiasts and learn how Alabama oyster farmers employ progressive, sustainable techniques to put those oysters on your plate. KUDU is participating as a sponsor, showing its unique multi-grilling design based on traditional South African open grills. Buy tickets online, $75 per person (plus $3.62 service fee); covers chef tasting, beverage samples and live music.

Taco Mac Big Game Rush Week Begins Jan. 29 with Brewniversity Incentives and Saturday Wings-to-Go Pick Up

Taco Mac calls in special teams of Brewniversity double credits and Saturday wing order pick-ups for its Big Game Rush Week leading up to Super Bowl Sunday. Beginning Sunday, Jan. 29 and running through Feb. 5, all Brewniversity credits are worth double points. Full-size beers and pitchers are worth two credits and nooners are worth one credit. Daily credits max out at 12 (instead of the usual six credit daily max). Credits are still only worth double on Double Credit Monday.

And then there’s the home party stress-relieving team, having those take-away wing orders ready for Saturday pick up to minimize the stress of picking up food and preparing to host a party on game day. Guests who order for Saturday pick up will receive their to-go order in a foil pan with instructions on reheating. Toss in the sauce after reheating to prevent soggy wings. Roasted wings are ideal for Saturday pick up. Place online orders until noon on Super Bowl Sunday. Call your closest Taco Mac location to place orders after 12 p.m. on Feb. 5.

One more wing thing – “Wings are for Winners” is still in play at Taco Mac. When the Falcons play, Taco Mac game watchers present when the game ends will receive a card for a free six-pack of wings, valid on dine-in orders the following Monday-Friday. May not be combined with other offers, coupons or discounts.