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Check out some tasty collages on this LA girl’s Instagram @julieskitchen. Julie Lee’s materials come from the Santa Monic Farmer’s Market or fresh from her urban garden. 

Chefs Pitch In at Two Benefits for Open Hand: Atlanta Meatball Festival on September 14 and Party in the Kitchen on September 18

Play ball! The first Atlanta Meatball Festival at Sandy Springs’ Belle Isle Shopping Center features mouthwatering meatball dishes from chef Drew Belline of no. 246, chef Craig Richards of St. Cecilia and many others from 2-6 p.m. on Sunday, September 14. Judges and attendees will sample and vote, and three top ballers will go on to compete at the Taste of Atlanta Meat Brawl Throwdown in October. Live music, wine, beer and a silent auction to benefit nonprofit Open Hand tie this festival all together.

On Thursday, September 18, Party in the Kitchen features cuisine from some of Atlanta’s most talented chefs, beverages, live music and silent and live auctions to benefit Open Hand. Purchase tickets online. 

Toast Those Social Skills and Instagram Yourself into a $200 Party at Tin Lizzy's Cantina

Win a $200 party from Tin Lizzy's Cantina! All you have to do is follow Tin Lizzy’s Cantina on Instagram and post a pic of yourself with your favorite drink at Tin Lizzy’s. Then, tag the photo with “#tlcdrink” and your cantina location. It’s that simple! 

Atlanta Restaurants Run Long with Viewing and Tailgate Party Catering Ideas

Touchdown! It’s finally fall in the South. And you know what that means - football season is upon us! Our Atlanta Falcons kick off their season against the New Orleans Saints at 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 7.

Cheer on your team at the tailgate party at Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland and get the best views on their new 120-inch big screen in the family friendly dining room. Specials off of the Big Green Egg and Goose Island brews will have you feeling like you’re tailgating at the Dome. Join in on the raffle benefitting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and stick around after the game for a Cornhole ATL tournament.

Partying at your place with friends for the game? Bantam + Biddy's farm-to-table mains and sides would be the perfect addition to your party.Pizza is always an option! Hearth Pizza Tavern in Sandy Springs is offering a sweet to-go deal: Purchase four large pizzas with one or more toppings and receive one complimentary pizza with one topping.

Change up your typical tailgate and order catering from RA Sushi.  Their to-go sushi platters including maki maki with spicy yellow tail, Philadelphia and California rolls will be sure to be a crowd pleaser. Down-home cuisine from Terminus City will make your viewing party a hit. Menu items include whole-hog barbecue, fried okra, Brunswick stew and slaw. Make this order in advance! Visit their Facebook page or call 404-380-1886 for more information. 

Get Down and Dirty at White Oak Pastures Seed Workshop on September 6

We city folk don’t know much about gardening. Luckily, just a two-and-a-half hour drive heading south of Atlanta will put you at White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Ga., where you can learn how to get that seed started for a fall or winter garden. At the Seed Workshop, learn the tricks of the trade for starting seed in an outdoor or greenhouse setting. Beginner and advanced gardeners are welcome! For reservations, call 229-641-2081. 

Appetizing Aperture

Cheers! The MLA team visited Orpheus Brewing on a team outing full of IPAs and saisons. Tour the brewery and taste these hoppy creations on Thursdays and Fridays from 6-8 p.m. and Saturdays from 2 – 4 p.m.

Look Forward to Midtown Restaurant Week September 6-14

Oh yes, the wonderful week devoted to fantastic food has finally arrived. Midtown Restaurant Week offers brunch, lunch and dinner at $15, $25 or $25 from September 6-14 to satisfy any budget and appetite.

Midtown restaurants such as Article 14, Bantam + Biddy, G’s Midtown, 10th & Piedmont, HOBNOB and The Pig & The Pearl will be serving up some savory dishes. Don’t forget to make reservations on OpenTable! 

Beachin’! $6 Mai Tais and Andrew & the Disapyramids Surf into Trader Vic’s on September 4

Get into the groove this Thursday, September 4 from 8 p.m. – midnight at Trader Vic’s Atlanta. The beachy tunes of Andrew & the Disapyramids mixed with $6 signature Mai Tai cocktails will whisk you away from Atlanta and take you to the islands. 

Atlanta Restaurants Plate Up Promotions to Raise Funds for No Kid Hungry

Scary statistic: 1 in 5 American children are hungry. Atlanta restaurants are trying to turn that 1 to a 0 by participating in nonprofit Share Our Strength’s No Kids Hungry campaign. From now until September 30, Atlanta restaurants are banding together for Dine Out for No Kid Hungry month. All you have to do is go visit these eateries and take advantage of special promotions! Easy enough.  

Every person who makes a donation to Share Our Strength of any amount at Aqua blue in Roswell or Marlow’s Tavern will receive a $5 coupon to use at the restaurant between October 1 and December 31, 2014.

Visit all three Ray’s Restaurant locations -- Ray’s in the City, Ray’s at Killer Creek and Ray’s on the River – this month! $2 will be donated to Share our Strength for each three-course meal sold. Or, if you’re in the mood for some bison, Ted’s Montana Grill is giving $5 thank-you certificates to each guest donating $5 or more to the campaign.

Kung pao! Tin Drum Asiacafé locations are giving 5% of their total sales for the month of September to the cause. 

Midtown Restaurant Week, Seed Workshop at White Oak Pastures and More in This Week's Dish!

We love passing the time in our gardens and enjoying the food we grow in them, but we'll be honest - we could use a few tips and tricks before we'd ever consider our thumbs to be truly green. Luckily, White Oak Pastures hosts a Seed Workshop this Saturday, September 6, and we can't wait to roll up our sleeves and learn from the pros. Join in on an optional farm tour from 10 a.m. to noon before enjoying a farm-fresh lunch in the pavilion. Hit the workshop at 1 p.m. to learn the how-to's of seeding in a greenhouse or outdoors, optimizing growing conditions and coping with harsh weather. Once you saddle up and head back to the city, make your way to your favorite midtown eatery for Midtown Restaurant Week this September 6-14. Article 14, Bantam + Biddy, Chick-a-Biddy, G's Midtown, 10th & Piedmont, HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern, The Pig & The Pearl and more all get in on the action with special prix fixe menus of $15, $25 or $35. All this and much more in this week's Dish!

Appetizing Aperture

We didn’t think getting this much deliciousness into one picture or one sandwich was even possible! But Ormsby's, home of the Madison, proved us wrong. This tomato-y treat has thick, grilled slices of country sourdough sandwiching roasted tomatoes, prosciutto, white cheddar and Gruyere. 

G’s Midtown Features New Weekend Brunch Options: 10P Bloody Mary Brunch in a Jar, Bottomless Mimosas and Bellinis and Build Your Own Brunch

              Credit: Clayton Morey

Brunch in a jar, say what? Yes, you heard right. G’s Midtown is featuring a new brunch menu with items like the 10P Bloody Mary Brunch in a Jar. This home-made beverage brims with house-infused pepper vodka, house-made bloody mary mix, pickled okra, stuffed olives, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella balls, celery and a skewer of chicken and waffles. If you’re into the bubbly, “All You Care to Drink” mimosas and Bellinis at $16.95 each with food purchase will be to your liking.

The new brunch menu from G’s also includes delicious dishes that will satisfy every kind of appetite. Sink your teeth into a Farmhouse croissant with savory country ham steak, fried egg and smoked cheddar. “The King” challah French toast puts a sweet spin on the meal. Stuffed with peanut butter and bananas, this is a course to go crazy for. If you just can’t bring yourself to only choose one item from the menu, we won’t judge you. “Build Your Own Brunch” by choosing two, three or even four side items such as two eggs any style, applewood smoked bacon, turkey sausage, buttermilk biscuits, stone-ground grits or vodka tomato gravy. Stop in from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday to cram in these cravings. 

Relax! These Restaurants are Ready for You on Labor Day

What to do with your day off? Eat delicious food of course! Lucky for you, we have the inside scoop on just which Atlanta restaurants will be open to help satisfy those Labor Day cravings.

Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland will be open from 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. serving Labor Day brunch specials including fried chicken biscuits with scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, tomato gravy and stone gound grits. Yum! If you’re more of a late riser, not to worry. They will also be offering their lunch, dinner and bar menus.

If you’re venturing out in Midtown on your holiday, make sure Bantam + Biddy in Ansley Mall is on the itinerary. Open during normal hours, breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served. If you’re in the brunching mode, Bantam + Biddy on Crescent Avenue will be offering Labor Day brunch until 3 p.m. followed by lunch and dinner.

Other restaurants to handle holiday weekend hankerings are Chick-a-Biddy, HOBNOB, 10th & Piedmont, G’s Midtown, Hearth Pizza Tavern, Der Biergarten, Game-X, Glenn’s Kitchen, Max’s Coal Oven Pizzeria, STATS, SkyLounge, Parma Rustic Tavern, The Big Ketch Saltwater Grill, Smokebelly, Q & Brew Lawn Party, Ray’s Restaurants, Marlow’s Tavern, Ormsby’s, The Pig & The Pearl, RA Sushi, Tin Drum Asiacafé and Tin Lizzy’s Cantina. 

Downtown Restaurants Post Out-of-this-World Ideas for Dragon Con, August 29 – Sept. 1

Don’t be alarmed when you see caped characters, super heroes and villains wandering about the streets; it’s perfectly normal for Atlanta this time of year. Dragon Con is finally among us! With this great occasion comes even better food and drink specials. Nikolai’s Roof is hosting the sultry vocalist Kristin Tinsley in the restaurant’s lounge nightly at 8 p.m. Friday, August 29 through Saturday, August 31.

For Thursday night tunes and tall drinks, Trader Vic’s Atlanta offers $6 mai tais. Big Mike’s Tongo Hiti will take you back to the islands with pop exotica, Polynesian and Hawaiian sounds on August 28. Grab a Dagon Con-themed Dragon Juice cocktail – a blend of run and pineapple, orange and cranberry juices for $7 from Nikolai’s Roof and Trader Vic’s. Showing up to Ray’s in the City in your Dragon Con costume gets you a 20 percent discount from August 28 through September 1. Shazam! 

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Take a peek inside the magical world of mobile meal modes. @Behindfoodcarts features fantastic fare on wheels! 

Zagat Releases “30 Under 30” Who are Making a Difference in Atlanta’s Restaurant Scene

                                    Layla Walk, King+Duke

From chefs to servers and entrepreneurs to sommeliers, this list of “30 under 30” features some of the top talent in Atlanta’s food and beverage world. Their accomplishments in the culinary game are very impressive, but what’s even more inspiring is that they are making such an impact before they turn the age of 30. Included in this list is Matthew Crawford, the assistant general manager and sommelier at St. Cecilia. Also making the cut is Michele Tenggara, server at one of the best spots for sushi in Atlanta, Umi. Layla Walk channels her passion for food as the chef de cuisine at King + Duke. Another chef de cuisine, Joey Ward is a part of this esteemed bunch. At Gunshow, Joey is the culinary collaborator to chef Kevin Gillespie. 

Orpheus Brewing Beer Dinner at no. 246 on August 27

Orpheus Brewing will be hosted by no. 246 for a five-course dinner prepared by no. 246 chef Andrew Isabella paired with some Orpheus brews. With Hop Experiment #1, Wandering Blues, Lyric ale, Atalanta and a specialty brew crafted exclusively for no. 256, you won’t be leaving thirsty! To make your reservations, call Hop City at 404-350-9998.

Stop at Makan for Dine Out for the Decatur Farmers Market on August 26, Learn How at EAV Farmers Market Chef Demo on August 28

Tonight’s the night! Come Dine Out for the Decatur Farmers Market to see and eat chromatic chow from Makan.  Vibrant veggies, grilled kalbi-style steak, kimchi and rice, and rice cakes with local tofu are only a few farm-fresh options that will be on the table. This is also an opportunity to get your grub on for good. A percentage of tonight’s dinner proceeds benefit the farmers market’s outreach program and doubling SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) purchase capabilities for needy families in the community. Reserve your table here.

If you already made plans for tonight, not to worry! You can also drop by the East Atlanta Village Farmers Market on Thursday, August 28 at 4:30 p.m. and see Makan executive chef George Yu leading a chef’s demo. Get inspired! 

Dragon Con Deals, Labor Day Destinations and More in This Week's Dish!

After a full year of eager anticipation, it's finally time to slip into our spandex and don our capes before heading out to Dragon Con! Whether you're strutting your stuff in the Dragon Con parade or strolling the hotel floors in search of your favorite sci-fi celeb, you're going to need plenty of energy to make it through the convention. Luckily, Ray's in the City is offering 20% off to true believers who dine in their costumes between August 28 and September 1. Need a more potent pick-me-up? Nikolai's Roof and Trader Vic's will both be serving Dragon Juice cocktails featuring rum, pineapple, orange and cranberry juices for just $7. Elsewhere in Atlanta, restaurants from downtown to Buckhead and beyond are celebrating Labor Day weekend with special offers and events, so be sure to check out our list of all the highlights. All that and more in this week's Dish!

Band Together with Sailing to Denver and PBR at Atkins Park Virginia-Highland Live Music Night on August 28

Give summer one last hoorah this Thursday, August 28 at Atkins Park Restaurant & Bar in Virginia-Highland and groove to the tunes of Atlanta local band Sailing to Denver. This live music night begins at 10 p.m. and is sponsored by Pabst Blue Ribbon.