Prime Time for Dining Downtown at Alma Cocina and Ray's in the City

Downtown Restaurant Week starts tomorrow, and it's a great way to try out three courses at some of Atlanta's best restaurants like Alma Cocina and Ray's in the City. Each participating restaurant is offering a three-course prix fixe meal for $25 or $35 per person, plus gratuity and tax. If you're in the mood for modern Mexican fare, we recommend Alma Cocina (pictured at right) in the One Ninety One Peachtree Tower. The steak and seafood lovers will be lured by Ray's in the City. But as you can imagine, tables go fast during this event, so make reservations for July 21 through July 29 online or phone your desired restaurant directly.

It's Follow Friday; Meet our Tweep of the Week @WynnWs

  

This Atlanta Dawg (yes, she's a UGA grad) loves life, laughs, books and Chihuahuas. The rest of the time she's a CNN journalist and contributor on CNN's Eatocracy blog. Follow her tweets (@WynnWs) to keep up with her take on news quips.  

Affordable Lunch in Buckhead - Ole!

Lunch doesn't have to be pricey when you go to Uncle Julio's on Peachtree this summer. They have 10 dishes that are under $10, like Mario's Especial (above). In addition to being affordable, it's convenient, fast and delicious! And with those kinds of savings you could splurge and have a Swirl with lunch. Just don't tell your boss we suggested that!  If you're closer to the Perimeter location, you can save too. Sundays sizzle there with chicken fajitas priced at $10 all day and they have Swirls, frozen margaritas and Julio's Gold for $5 on Sundays. Gracias, Uncle Julio's!

MLA Taste And Tell: Blue Moon Pizza

Our intern Becca is bonkers about Blue Moon Pizza in Buckhead. She's crazy about their garlic rolls and their pizzas. Phone ready? After you watch YouTube, the number-one way to get her pizza raves off the brain is to call in and order one. Or two.   

Jazz up your Saturday with Ray's on the River

Don’t miss the end of the Ray’s on the River summer jazz series before it heads downstream. The last lawn concert benefiting the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (CR) will be on Saturday, July 21. Renowned trumpeter Joey Sommerville will be entertaining guests from 2-4 p.m., and American Spirit Whiskey will be providing the cocktails. Purchase tickets for $35 each on Eventbrite. Ray’s on the River applauds UCR’s work to keep the waterway clean. Mike Ross, director of operations for Ray’s Restaurants, shares that “the Chattahoochee was recently ranked third on the American Rivers' Most Endangered Rivers list, and we want to encourage everyone to help keep our waters clean." Concert-goers who show their tickets will receive 20 percent off of their lunch tab that day; lunch seating will be at noon and 12:30 p.m. Call 770-955-1187 to make reservations. 

What's New On Pinterest: Tantalized By Tomatoes

Creamy Tomato Soup by Dixie Caviar

We'll take 'em, lots of them. Plump, sun-worshipping, vine-ripe tomatoes to slice, dice, drip juice down our chins and stain our tank tops. This week's Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival is homegrown tomato nirvana. Our pins are ripe for the picking!

Woodfire Grill Pours Summer Whites for Wine Tasting on July 19

 

None of those Memorial Day to Labor Day rules, summer whites are refreshing anytime it's hot, and Woodfire Grill has planned this month's wine tasting to prove it. Loire Valley Vouvray, Muscadet and Sancerre wines will be poured this Thursday, July 19 from 6 - 8 p.m. Dinner guests may choose the eight-wine tasting to go along with their dinner. Woodfire Grill Wine Director Nicolas Quinones or Sommelier Cate Hatch will be present for tastings. $15 per person; open to 30 guests. Reservations are required; call 404-347-9055. Corks up - summer series concludes with Rieslings from Germany on August 16. 

Don’t Miss Chef Ford Fry and Executive Sous Chef Tony Ballester Cookin’ It Up At The Farmer’s Markets

While you’re shopping for fresh farm food from this week’s farmers markets you’ll have the chance to see two of Atlanta’s tastiest chefs in action. Executive Sous Chef Tony Ballester of The Optimist and Ford Fry of JCT. Kitchen & Bar, No. 246 and The Optimist are stepping outside their kitchens for an extra hit of vitamin D. Ballester will be stepping into the show-me-how booth at the East Atlanta Village Farmers Market on Thursday, July 19. Across town, Fry will rise early Saturday morning, July 21, to get ready for his 10 a.m. demo at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market in Buckhead. Why choose? You don’t have to miss either -- shop both farmers markets this week!

Aria Serves a Lovin' Spoonful at Summer In The City Benefit

Enjoy a beautiful view of Lake Clara Meer at Piedmont Park during Summer in the City benefitting the Shepherd Center, Wednesday, July 18 at 6:30 p.m. Chefs from Buckhead beauty Aria will join associates from 11 other top ATL restaurants at specialty tasting stations. Wine tastings and a mixology bar keep spirits soaring. Attire is dressy casual. Click here to purchase general admission tickets at $80 each.

Terrific News: Tuesdays Mean 20 Bottles of Wine for $20 Each at Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub

All it takes is one portrait of former U.S. President Andrew Jackson to try a bottle of wine from the 20 for $20 list each Tuesday night at Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub in Brookhaven. The variety is plentiful with wines including Belle Vallee Pinot Noir, Redwood Merlot, Maggio Petit Sirah, OZV Zinfandel, Grooner Gruner Veltliner, Fritz Zimmer Piesporter Riesling, Lamarca Prosecco and many more. Now the only thing left to do is decide who you will share this juicy deal with!

Get ready - Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival is back! Plus Lots More In This Week's Dish

This week finds us plotting a culinary course with killer tomatoes on the loose, garden parties by night, riverside jazz and much more in The Dish! If you aren't already receiving The Dish, you can sign up either here on our blog or on our Facebook page. 

Seven Hens Brings Worldly Chicken Schnitzel To Emory Area

Swallow that southern pride because at Seven Hens fried chicken is a worldly bird. Overseas, chicken takes a pounding before the breading and frying dip to become the golden perfection known as schnitzel. In Germany, schnitzel is a term of endearment, as in “I’m crazy about you, my little schnitzel,” and in Israel, it tops falafel as the top street food. In Decatur, fried chicken lovers in search of the schnitzel-ed bird for lunch or dinner will find it at fast-casual Seven Hens, recently opened in North Decatur Plaza. Seven Hens Schnitzel is customized to order with suggested recipes and seasonings -- American, Mexican, Italian, French, Chinese, Indian or the design-your-own seasoned Traveler -- and fried crispy-crunchy on the outside and moist and tender inside. To escort bird to mouth, go with a locally baked white or wheat baguette ($7.49), wrap ($7.49), salad ($6.99) or on a platter with two sides ($7.99). Sides include fries, Seven Hens salad and chips are also available separately. Finishing touches are a DIY array of house-made dressings, spreads, sauces, toppings and cheeses inspired by world cuisine. Guests not snatching up schnitzel will find dark meat, vegetarian (tofu) and grilled chicken options, and fountain sodas and bottled drinks are available to quench thirsts. Like our southern staple, Seven Hens schnitzel is a picnic waiting to happen.

The Plot Thickens This Week As JCT. Kitchen Attack Of The Killer Tomato Festival Strikes On July 22

Such a juicy storyline: bushels of real tomatoes give in to the hands of a united front of 37 star Southern chefs, 12 maniacal mixologists and 30+ farmers whose toiling enables the whole coup. The victors? Georgia Organics, beneficiary of the fourth annual JCT. Kitchen Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival, and tomato devotees. 

The event will spill out of headquarters at JCT. Kitchen & Bar and into the Westside Provisions District complex on Sunday, July 22 from 1-5 p.m. Purchase tickets online through Xorbia for $70 per person. 

Last year’s event raised almost $40,000 for Georgia Organics, and Ford Fry, owner/chef of JCT. Kitchen & Bar, No. 246 and The Optimist, hopes this year’s event will grow even more greens for the group. 

The festival is ripe for people watching as judges include Garden & Gun Deputy Editor Dave Mezz, Esquire Restaurant Features Writer John Mariani, Food & Wine Associate Food Editor Daniel Gritzer and actor David Miller, who played Mason Dixon in the original “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes” movie. Co-masters of ceremonies are Angie Mosier, food writer, stylist and photographer, and Carolyn O’Neil, registered dietician, author and food journalist. Jump to live entertainment from The Spazmatics and local chef band Five Bone Rack. 

Get more juice on participating chefs, etc. at www.killertomatofest.com!

Lure Opens Tomorrow...And You'll Be Hooked

Trust me, it's a shore thing. Lure, Fifth Group Restaurant's newest eatery, opens to the public tomorrow, and I can assure you it's quite the catch. The restaurant is located in a 1920s bungalow at 1106 Crescent Avenue in Midtown and serves a menu of amazingly fresh seafood and seasonal produce from Chef David Bradley. The restaurant achieves a perfect balance between sophisticated and casual, making guests feel as though they are in both a fine-dining restaurant and a seaside fish house all at once with eye catching accents like reclaimed nautical spotlights and an old anchor from the Boston Harbor. Lure's three-part menu is broken down into “Raw, Marinated, Chilled” ($2-$20),“For You Or For Sharing”($4-$14), and “Sizeable Servings” ($19-28). My personal favorite is the grilled whole Georgia rainbow trout served with pickled ramp butter and new potatoes. And if you're nervous about getting a whole fish, don't be, you can order it at Lure without feeling like a novice because the restaurant is smart enough to bring out these handy dandy "de-boning with confidence" diagrams to help you out. The spicy Veracruz-style seafood cocktail is a fun appetizer to share, and the grilled North Carolina mahi mahi with summer salad and fresh goat cheese is another outstanding entree choice. Check out the menu for yourself and go fishing for favorites. Lure is also sure to become a favorite watering hole among Atlantans with a variety of punch bowls, bottled cocktails and shochu blends. Try the Blue-Eyed Boy (pictured above) with gin, mint, elderflower and peach bitters - nice and refreshing for summer! Lure will serve dinner nightly to start out, with lunch and weekend brunch service beginning in September. Call 404.817.3650 to make your reservation.

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

  

This foodie is surrounded by food. Angie Clawson is the PR manager for the Atlanta Community Food Bank. She shares funnies and thoughts on Twitter (@angierclawson) and tweets about her obsession with Indiana basketball. Follow along and maybe you'll find ways to help the ACFB, too. 

MLA Taste and Tell: Erica's Sweet on Savannah

In this week's edition, our Client Services Manager, Erica, fills us in on all the sweet details of her trip to Savannah’s River Street. Erica was like a kid in a candy store -  sampling pralines, marshmallows on a stick and ice cream! While she neglected to bring her office-mates any treats (tsk, tsk), she was kind enough to recap her visit on YouTube. Check back next week for more Taste and Tell adventures.

Appetizing Aperture: National French Fries Day

After the Fourth of July comes, why, National French Fries Day, of course. July 13 is the day, and we say TGIF (Thank Goodness It's Fries). Looking forward to these truffle fries at JCT. Kitchen & Bar. Not trifling.

Congratulations To The GA Voice "2012 Best of Atlanta" Winners

GA Voice readers have cast their votes for "2012 Best of Atlanta," and the winners were announced July 6 at a party held in Altitude on the 27^th floor of the W Atlanta-Midtown. Let's give a round of applause to Kevin Gillespie, executive chef at Woodfire Grill, who was named "Best Local Chef;" La Tavola Trattoria, named "Best Overall Restaurant;" Alon's Bakery and Market, named "Best Dessert;" and Alli Royce Soble, bartender at La Tavola Trattoria, who was named "Best Local Artist." Read more about the honor and party on Facebook. 

The 3 S's at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar: Summer, Steak & Sangria

The only thing better than a grilled steak paired with a refreshing pitcher of sangria on a summer night is a grilled steak paired with a refreshing pitcher of sangria on a summer night that you don’t have to prepare yourself. Allow Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar Summer Lovin' Steak & Sangria prix fixe dinners to do the work for you with the prime New York Strip steak and optional sangria pairings offered every night. The menu and sangria blend changes every two weeks, so you’ll never fall into a rut. Each three-course menu is packed with seasonal flavors that offer a global taste. The current menu, for example, is offered through July 15 and includes a fresh summer green salad with sliced strawberries, Danish blue cheese crumbles and candied walnuts with a red wine vinaigrette, a prime New York Strip with Jamaican jerk rub, chimichurri sauce, roasted pineapple salsa and farm-fresh corn salad; and chilled white chocolate almond soufflé with blueberry sauce and house-made caramel for $39.95 per person. Add a hand-crafted sangria pairing for $7.95, such as the current Silver Sun Sangria featuring Red Diamond Merlot infused with fresh seasonal fruit and topped with Milagro Silver Tequila, a touch of Crème de Cassis, muddled blackberries and fresh lemon juice. Menu and drink prices do not include tax or gratuity.

Those leaning toward ordering a bottle of fine wine will want to try Fleming's new Icon Wine. Fleming's Wine Maeven, Maeve Pesquera, has chosen JUSTIN Vineyards & Winery's signature Isosceles 2009 and is making it available at an exceptional $75 per bottle for a limited time. The world-class Bordeaux blend from Paso Robles, Calif. was recently ranked sixth in Wine Spectator's "Top Ten Most Exciting Wines." When it's gone, it's gone. Don’t miss out!

Celebrate Summer’s Harvest At Milton’s Midsummer Night’s Garden Party

Take it from this gardening girl – when we recently visited Milton’s Acre at Milton’s Cuisine and Cocktails in North Fulton’s Crabapple Historic District, my jaw literally dropped with jealousy. There were rows of beautiful corn, squash, tomatoes, herbs and much more in front of me – over an acre’s worth! 

Next week, it’s your chance to take it all in at A Midsummer Night’s Garden Party! Join us to rejoice over garden fresh goodness on Wednesday, July 18 from 7 – 9 p.m. The garden is just steps from the 150-year-old farmhouse turned restaurant and is the birthplace of much of the produce Chef Shane Touhy uses in his seasonal, regionally inspired menu.

Fried Clemson spineless okra with stewed tomato aioli, fried squash chips and blossoms with saffron aioli and basil aioli; cucumber, tomato, mozzarella salad with purple thyme basil; and butterleaf lettuce salad with roasted icicle radishes, red satin radishes, julienne red onion and smoked bacon gorgonzola vinaigrette are a few current menu items.

Milton’s is inviting The Dish readers to enjoy garden inspired hors d’oeuvre and cocktails (yes, just picked herbs in drinks such as the Georgia Peach Basil Mojito) plus live music and Milton’s Acre garden tours. RSVP to Rebecca@melissalibbypr.com if you’ll be there!