Sweet Treats for A Good Cause This Weekend

On Saturday, May 14, Atlanta food bloggers will band together to sell some delicious goodies with the goal of handing over dough raised to Share Our Strength's mission of eradicating childhood hunger and establishing healthy after-school and summer feeding programs.  Summer is an especially critical time for the 17 million children facing hunger in America who will not have school programs in session to feed them over the long break.  The second-annual Atlanta Food Bloggers Bake Sale, organized by Tami Hardeman of Running with Tweezers, will be held at 10 a.m. at Phipps Plaza in conjunction with the Atlanta Luxury Living Show.  The bloggers will be parked in front of Williams-Sonoma in Monarch Court.  For more information, visit the event Facebook page.  Can't make the sale?  You can still help by donating to the Atlanta team online.  Phipps Plaza is located at 3500 Peachtree Road, NE.

It's Follow Friday; Meet Our Tweep of the Week @TasteofVaHi

Festivals and farmers markets are filling the weekends so fast it's hard to keep up with the flurry of festivities.  A Taste of the Highlands, fast approaching on Saturday, May 14, keeps their news in the forefront on Twitter (@TasteofVaHi).  Follow for food, fun and Terrapin beer details about this event that benefits Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.  Lots of handy info and reminders to buy your tickets now because the event usually sells out.  We're especially looking forward to seeing what Atkins Park Tavern, Ecco, La Tavola and The Original El Taco are servin' up for this exciting event!  Hit the event website for even more info.

It's A Beastly Feast

Between the pandas and the penguins, Zoo Atlanta is always a fun visit but add in the culinary treats of some of Atlanta's greatest chefs and you've got yourself one stellar night out!

This year's Beastly Feast is this Saturday (May 14) at 6:30 p.m. at Zoo Atlanta. Guests will begin the evening at sunset with a stroll throughout the Zoo grounds enjoying cocktails and hors d'oeuvres from some of Atlanta's finest restaurants, such as Spice Market and Rathbun's. A seated dinner and dancing to the music of a live band will follow. The live and silent auctions will help the Zoo in its goal of raising $1 million dollars for the 14th consecutive year.

For ticket reservations, call 404.624.5836.

JCT.'s Lara Creasy Represents in NYC

JCT. Bar Mixologist Lara Creasy is headed to NYC where she'll craft cocktails along with some of the world's greatest bartenders at the Manhattan Cocktail Classic on Saturday, May 14. Creasy and her peers will shake and stir in The Lounge at Astor Center from 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.! Since it's kind of an early gig (for a mixologist), we thought it appropriate to share the recipe for her Strawberry Alarm Clock drink. Enjoy!

Strawberry Alarm Clock

Glass: highball

2 oz. cachaça

1 strawberry, muddled

3-4 small lime pieces

1 bar spoon of brown sugar

¼ oz. balsamic syrup

Muddle strawberries and lime with brown sugar in mixing glass. Add ice, balsamic and cachaça. Shake and pour all into highball glass garnished with limes and strawberries.

Double Zero Napoletana Opens Tonight!

It's finally here! Double Zero Napoletana , the new Sandy Springs restaurant from Castellucci Hospitality Group, is opening to the public this evening. We have been waiting patiently to get our hands on the restaurant's certified, authentic Neopolitan pizza that is cooked in Ferrara ovens from Naples, and all the other southern Italian dishes from Chef John Coley...and we know you have, too! Along with cuisine from the Campania region of Italy, Double Zero's extensive wine list and Barrel Aged Negroni cocktail are also sure to impress. A little birdie told us not to miss out on the restaurant’s signature starter meant for sharing called “The Roast." It's a 1.5 pound pork shoulder served in cast iron alongside six accoutrements and a thin, pita-like bread made from pizza dough. The dough is baked at 1000 degrees in the aforementioned ovens to use for scooping up the pork and other goodies.

The restaurant is open from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Double Zero accepts reservations as well as all major credit cards, and valet parking is available for guests. Stay tuned for the opening of The Café at Double Zero, where guests will be able to get breakfast and lunch come June.

Double Zero Napoletana: 5825 Roswell Road; 404-991-3666.

Don't Miss the 2011 Georgia Fine Wine Festival Next Month

Don't forget to grab your tickets for the 2011 Georgia Fine Wine Festival at BlackStock Vineyards and Winery on June 4 and 5. BlackStock, outside Dahlonega, graces the front of the 2011-12 Georgia DOT Highway Map so you'll know exactly where are all the excitement is happening. This family-friendly festival gives you the chance to sample more than 60 Georgia-grown fine wines from various wineries in our state. Entry for the afternoon includes a festival glass and wine sampling, two food tickets to relish tapas-style plates from 25 North Georgia restaurants, live music on the deck by Kip Dockery Jazz Quartet and colorful folk craft demonstrations. Children, admitted free, are not left high and dry; they’ll love the complimentary petting zoo! Tractor-pulled vineyard tours will be offered for an additional fee. Festival hours are 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 4 and 1 - 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 5. $50 per person for one-day tickets; purchase online at www.bsvw.com. Questions? Call 706-219-2789 ext. 223.

BlackStock Vineyards and Winery: 5400 Town Creek Road, Dahlonega; 706-219-2789 ext. 221.

Hold Your Horses - It's Almost Derby Time at South City Kitchen Vinings

Dressing up and sipping mint juleps for "The Run for the Roses" is a Southern tradition.  All that horsepower.  All of those juleps.  Oh-so-hospitable South City Kitchen Vinings is throwing a Kentucky Derby party from 5 - 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 7.  You won't miss a minute of the action as the restaurant will televise it, high volume, on its flat-screen TVs.  Out on the patio, saddle up with cocktail tastings of mint juleps, mojitos and Kentuckyritas and enjoy heavy hors d'oeuvre including smoked chicken wings, Kentucky sausage meatballs, grilled pimento cheese sandwiches and burgoo-a traditional Kentucky stew. 

Hold your horses -- there's more: bartenders will teach guests step-by-step how to stir and shake up these cocktails themselves -- you'll even get recipe cards to take home so it'll be perfect every time. Even if your horse loses the Derby, you'll still win because partygoers will receive 10 percent off dinner if they choose to stay for another lap.  Purchase Kentucky Derby party tickets online for only $25 per person plus tax and gratuity. 

It's Follow Friday; Meet Our Tweep of the Week @dloveatl

With the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival coming up May 19-22...and all of the preliminary events leading up to it, it’s not like Dominique Love is sitting around twiddling her forks and corks.    

Being the energetic entrepreneur that she is, the CEO and co-founder of the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival has plenty to tweet (@dloveatl) about and info-bites to share on Southern food, wine and spirits. 

Cocktails in the Garden and Piedmont Park's Green Market Start This Week

Even though it was a little chilly this morning, rest assured that it's Springtime in Atlanta and your favorite outdoor activities are back! Tonight kicks off the Atlanta Botanical Garden's Thursday night Cocktails in the Garden. Spice Market, in the W Atlanta-Midtown, will provide the yummy, complimentary appetizers for the season opener May 5 from 6-10 p.m. I love this event! Mingle around in the beautiful garden grounds, listen to the DJ, enjoy a cocktail and nosh on delicious nibbles. Free for garden members; guests are $18.95. Guest passes will be accepted. Join the Atlanta Botanical Garden's email list to receive Evites to future events.

Saturday, May 7 is the day for another Midtown staple to come back for the season - Piedmont Park Green Market, Enjoy checking out the fresh produce, catch up with your favorite vendors and then head over to the culinary demo area to watch RA Sushi General Manager Bryan Benavidez and a RA Sushi sushi chef demonstrate how to make one of RA's sensational sushi rolls so you can wow friends with your prowess.The roll-down takes place at 11 a.m. at the Piedmont Park Green Market chef demo area. It's opening day for the market's eighth year; hours are 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. every Saturday.

Grab Your Sombrero! It’s Time for Cinco de Mayo!

You’ve still got one day to plan your Cinco de Mayo celebration. Whether you want to hit the town or host your own fiesta, we’ve got some great options for this fun holiday!

Atkins Park Tavern in Virginia Highland will be celebrating all day long tomorrow. Stop by and indulge in the neighborhood eatery’s special Cinco de Mayo selection that includes everything from tasty tacos to tequila! (794 N Highland Ave; 404-876-7249).

The Original El Taco is opening earlier than usual on Cinco de Mayo. Eager señors and señoritas will be glad to know they can arrive at 3 p.m. for El Taco's frosty drink and beer specials and its menu of fresh Tex-Mex favorites. (1186 North Highland Avenue, NE; 404-873-4656)

Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food, with locations in Buckhead and Sandy Springs, is always ready to celebrate with potent, custom-made margaritas, ice-cold beer and all kinds of Tex-Mex specialties from shareable appetizers to sizzling fajitas and the Plato Gordo platter. The Buckhead location boasts a huge patio on Peachtree. Heads up in Sandy Springs where a balcony and patio double the fun. Both Uncle Julio's locations open at 11 a.m. for weekday lunch. If the fiesta is at your casa, call Uncle Julio's to handle to-go or full catering needs. (In Buckhead at 1860 Peachtree Road, NW; 404-350-6767. To-go line: 404-974-2991. In Sandy Springs at 1140 Hammond Drive, NE; 678-736-8260. To-go line: 678-736-8261.)

Go al fresco by grilling or stirring up fajitas from New York Butcher Shoppe for Cinco de Mayo. Pick up CAB flank steak ($8.99/lb.), CAB skirt steak ($9.99/lb.) or locally raised all-natural chicken marinated in homemade carne asada marinade ($5.49/lb.). Their fajita kit makes it a meal, adding sliced onions and green peppers, shredded pepper Jack cheese, eight tortillas, homemade black bean salsa, NYBS queso dip and a big bag of tortilla chips for only $11.99! (Dunwoody at 2458 Mt. Vernon Road; 770-399-6328. Sandy Springs at 4969 Roswell Road; 404-303-0704. Alpharetta at 5354 McGinnis Ferry Road; 678-624-0047.)

Mom's Favorite Restaurants Know Best

On Mother's Day, May 8, it's mom's turn to ask you "What's for dinner?" Or brunch. Or lunch. Lucky for you, quite a few Atlanta restaurants are ready to help you without any hesitation! We recommend making Mother's Day meal reservations for your chosen restaurant.

Aqua blue has planned a brunch buffet for all to enjoy. Brunch is offered from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. $29.95 per person, $9.95 ages 4-14 and free for the under-four set. Or, let Mom sleep in and come for dinner's expanded à la carte dinner menu and extended hours of 5:30 - 10 p.m. (1564 Holcomb Bridge Road; 770-643-8886)

Whisk mom from metro to mountains to sample some of the Southeast's best wines at BlackStock Vineyards & Winery. With acoustic harp music in the background and sweeping Blue Ridge Mountain views in the foreground, mom can totally relax with her wine or lunch from the patio of the Corkscrew Café. Wine tastings and lunch available after 12:30 p.m. on Mother's Day. (5400 Town Creek Road, Dahlonega, GA; 706-219-2789)

Fun awaits at the Renaissance Atlanta Midtown Hotel with a "Mother's Day Pancake Play Date" in the Briza kitchen! Children can don chef hats, grab whisks, add a few healthy or indulgent toss ins and turn out custom buttermilk or red velvet heart-shaped griddle cakes for mom. The three-course brunch, including kitchen activities, will be offered from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is priced at $45 for adults and $25 for children ages 13 and under. (866 West Peachtree Street, NW; 678-412-2402)

At Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, a special 99-calorie "Tickled Pink" cocktail ($6.95) and three-course Mother's Day brunch menu are all about mom between 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. Brunch is priced at $32.95 per adult and $15.95 per child ages 12 and under,plus tax and gratuity. Moms who celebrate at Fleming's on Mother's Day will receive a $25 gift card. (4501 Olde Perimeter Way; 770-698-8112)

JCT. Kitchen & Bar's Sunday Supper has mom's name written all over it. Begin with a selection of warm biscuits, house-made jams, deviled eggs and country ham. Next comes JCT's "farm stand" salad followed by the "meat & three" decisions mom gets to make as she selects from an array of meat options and savory sides. A slice of JCT.'s GA strawberry cake signals the finale. $36 per person; served from 5-9 p.m. on Mother's Day. (1198 Howell Mill Road, Suite 18; 404-355-2252)

New York Butcher Shoppe locations in Alpharetta, Dunwoody and Sandy Springs have easy ways to surprise mom with breakfast in bed or a morning spread. Buy any homemade quiche, breakfast casserole or Millie Ray's breakfast rolls and receive a second one for half price. All three Atlanta locations have delicious meats, family sides, wines and desserts. Food 101 customers who come in for Mother's Day brunch get 15 percent off all purchases at the Sandy Springs location of New York Butcher Shoppe if they bring in a receipt from their brunch until May 15. (Dunwoody at 2458 Mt. Vernon Road; 770-399-6328. Sandy Springs at 4969 Roswell Road; 404-303-0704. Alpharetta at 5354 McGinnis Ferry Road; 678-624-0047.)

Ray's Restaurants are always a Mother's Day favorite. Downtown, Ray's in the City is offering a special brunch buffet from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. priced at $29.95 for adults, $14.95 for children ages 5 to 10 and free for children ages 4 and under. The regular dinner menu will be available from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. (240 Peachtree Street, NW; 404-524-9224)

Both locations of South City Kitchen are offering three-courses of Southern favorites to commemorate Mother's Day, priced at $25 for adults and $12.50 for children under the age of 12 (plus tax and gratuity). Serving hours are 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. (In Midtown at 1144 Crescent Avenue; 404-873-7358. In Vinings at 1675 Cumberland Parkway; 770-435-0700.)

Both Sugo locations will be open from 12 pm to 8 pm. Come enjoy amazing Greek and Italian food and pamper the Mom in your family. Spend this Mother's Day at Sugo and every mom will receive a gift certificate to our new restaurant concept, Double Zero Napoletana, that will be opening May 10. (John's Creek at 10305 Medlock Bridge Road; 770-817-8000. Historic Roswell at 408 S. Atlanta Street; 770-641-9131)

Uncle Julio's Fine Mexican Food has a mouthwatering Mother's Day dish special. The Plato de Madre ($27.95) floats a mesquite-grilled medallion of salmon over tequila lime sauce alongside crab-stuffed shrimp and Uncle Julio's homemade rice. (In Buckhead at 1860 Peachtree Road, NW; 404-350-6767. To-go line: 404-974-2991. In Sandy Springs at 1140 Hammond Drive, NE; 678-736-8260. To-go line: 678-736-8261.)