Appetizing Aperture: @DiscoverAtlanta’s 100 Signature Dishes

Happy 100 Years of Hospitality, Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau! The organization marked this landmark occasion by building a list of the city's top Atlanta-only signature dishes. The "100 Signature Dishes" list includes hits from lots of our favorite dining spots – we had a hard time picking just one dish to picture here! Now we’re hungry for fried avocado taquito at Alma Cocina, Aria's butter-braised lobster, fried goat cheese with honey and black pepper at Ecco, spaghetti with tomatoes, basil and veal meatballs at La Tavola Trattoria, infamous fish tacos at Marlow's Tavern, fried chicken taco at The Original El Taco, buttermilk fried chicken and fried green tomatoes at South City Kitchen - Midtown, and glazed pork belly with local apples and turnips at Woodfire Grill. Eenie, meenie, and many mo', this week we're picturing....

South meets Southwest in the fried chicken taco at The Original El Taco. The cantina's consistently top-selling taco throws Mexico City grilled corn in chili-lime mayo and crumbled Mexican cheese into the mix and wraps it all up in a warm flour tortilla. 

See how many of these amazing dishes you can fit into your culinary rotation this year – sounds like the right kind of resolution to us!

It’s Follow Friday; Meet Our Tweep of the Week @danapops

This week, be sure to follow our Tweep of the Week Dana Hazels Seith - @danapops! Dana covers it all - culture, food and drink, travel, life in general. As a mom-to-be myself, I really relate and learn from her revelations as they pop up on her blog!

Sample Tweet: The Pop Five—danapop. An interview with @margaretcho,@FiatUSA takes on Motherhood, and 2013’s word top my list.http://bit.ly/WxiIdh  

MLA Pins Trends

  

Pigs ears are so 2012!! Don't you know it's the porker's tail that will be showing up on menus this year? We are tracking these hot topics to keep you in the know. Stay abreast of the situation by following our 2013 Food & Drink Trends pins and don't make a foodie faux pas for dinner.  

 

New Promotions at Gilbert's for Every Night of the Week

Executive Chef Brett Ring has developed a feast of new Mediterranean-oriented dishes for the menu at Gilbert's Café & Bar in Midtown, but the good news doesn’t end there. Each night, the Communitas Hospitality restaurant is featuring a different special for patrons to enjoy. On Mondays, 12 wine selections have half-off bottle status with any food purchase. Tuesday is “Industry” night, which brings out complimentary pizza and 20 percent off the bill for industry members from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Unleash your inner star with karaoke on Wednesdays from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. From 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. on Thursdays, guests receive half glasses of three featured wines along with a full glass of their favorite wine and a personal cheese platter - all for $19. Come in Saturday between 11 a.m.-4 p.m. or Sunday between 10 a.m.-4 p.m. to enjoy an $11.95 all-you-can-eat or cooked-to-order brunch featuring hearty dishes such as blackened chicken omelet, gyro burrito, pancakes, country steak with gravy and French toast, all while sipping $4 mimosas and Bloody Marys. Stick around and cap off your weekend with Sunday karaoke from 6:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m.

Round Up Your Team for Atkins Park Tavern's Thursday Night Trivia

Looking for something to do on Thursday nights? Gather your friends and head to Atkins Park Tavern-Smyrna for great food, awesome drinks and trivia! All the random facts that you have spent countless time learning can finally be put to use in helping you earn weekly prizes through Outspoken Entertainment's Thursday Trivia nights. The fun lasts from 8-10 p.m. and categories include history, science, sports, literature, movies, music, geography and  politics. Hope to see you there!

Atlanta Restaurateurs and Culinary Experts to Host Roundup For Ryan

Roundup for Ryan is an example of  Southern hospitality at its best! Culinary experts and owners of some of Atlanta's best restaurants are coming together to host this event to raise money for Ryan Hidinger who has just been diagnosed with stage 4 gallbladder cancer. 

Prior to receiving his diagnosis, Ryan and his wife, Jen, were on their way to accomplishing their dream of opening up Staplehouse restaurant. Costly medical bills have forced them to postpone this aspiration, but they're not giving up. You can get Ryan and Jen's full story by going to their website.

The fundraiser will be held on January 27 and will feature Atlanta's own Yacht Rock Revue. Over 30 Atlanta-area restaurants will be participating in the event including No. 246 and The Optimist. The event is already sold out but you can still help Ryan and Jen by donating at teamhidi.org. Go team Hidi!

Philly Rolls, Tuesday ‘Tinis, and Thursday ‘Ritas: A Winning Combo at Hearth Pizza Tavern

After an amazing win for the Falcons Sunday, pizza and beer (two game day essentials) are on everyone’s mind. Hearth Pizza Tavern is certainly serving up scrumptious wood-fired, oven-baked pizzas, and dishing out additional lip-smacking delights. Those beloved Philly rolls are back on the Hearth Specials menu for $7. Picture center-cut sirloin steak, fontina and cheddar, caramelized onions and shiitake mushrooms hand-rolled into a light, flaky spring roll and joined by smoky, homemade ketchup, pepperoncini and pickles.

Even beer lovers can’t resist the cocktails at Hearth Pizza Tavern. Tuesday and Thursday night’s "Five for $5" martinis and margaritas prove fancy flavors and frugality can play on the same team. Tuesday nights, Absolut is the first ingredient in all five featured martinis:  Down and Dirty with its olive-y bite; Red Dragon doused with raspberry liqueur and cranberry juice; Sweet Cinnamon bearing Absolut Vanilla and RumChata; Just Peachy with its Peachtree schnapps; and Pucker Up, a kissable shake up adding fresh lemon juice, triple sec and simple syrup to Absolut Citron. Thursday 'ritas spin out tequila treats such as the SuperFruit blend of VeeV Acai Spirits, Tequila Blanco, fresh lime and agave; Grapevine twists tequila with triple sec, sour mix and grape juice; St. Rita canonizes Tequila Blanco with St. Germain and fresh lime; fresh lime and agave nectar sweeten TanteoJalapeño Tequila in the Spicy Jalapeño; and Tropical Fruit adds a dose of Cointreau, fresh lime and cranberry juices plus agave nectar to Tanteo Tropical Tequila. I sure hope these pass for fruit salad in a glass!

Dine Your Way Through Atlanta's "100 Signature Dishes" and More in This Week's Dish

The Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau celebrates 100 years of hospitality, sharing 100 signature must-eat dishes in the ATL while Hearth Pizza Tavern and Gilbert's Cafe & Bar roll out some sweet new specials. There's plenty to eat up in this week's Dish! 

Seven Lamps Punch Packs Fundraising Wallop for Local Charities on Monday Nights

Cheers to charities on Monday nights at Seven Lamps as Beverage Manager Arianne Fielder teams up with bar slinger Tom McGuire of Prohibition to create a batch of punch to benefit local charities. Proceeds of each cup of punch sold will go toward the week's highlighted charity. On January 21, proceeds will benefit Boys & Girls Club; January 28 benefits Susan G. Komen; February 4 profits go towards Golden Retriever Rescue of Atlanta; and February 11 to Great Pyrenees Rescue of Atlanta. Save the dates and drink up for a cause!   

It’s Follow Friday; Meet Our Tweep of the Week @cakespy

When it comes to sweets, our office is always looking out for fellow baking minded enthusiasts! Our tweep of the week for this week is Cake Spy Jessie Oleson Moore (@cakespy), a freelance writer and illustrator who tracks down bakeries, conducts baking experiments, interrogates bakers and food artists and shares her finds. 

Be sweet and also drop by her website at www.cakespy.com!

Sample Tweet: Another day, another Lord of the Rings themed cupcake painting commission… http://www.cakespy.com/blog/2013/1/2/sweet-art-cupcakes-at-rivendell.html  

What's New on Pinterest: Savory Soups

Fire up the stove or plug in the Crock-Pot, soup's on to warm the winter-weary. Who would guess these comforting stews and soups also are healthy? Perfect for weeknight suppers and casual entertaining, they can also transform an ordinary game night into a truly satisfying "bowl" game for the whole family. When you peruse our Pinterest picks, please use a spoon.

Appetizing Aperture: Bantam + Biddy's Southern Cobb Salad

Photo by Angie Mosier

With 2013 in full swing, did you make a resolution to eat healthy and help your community? If so, Bantam + Biddy can help you knock out both of those on Monday nights. Every Monday beginning at 5 p.m., the Ansley Mall eatery donates 10 percent of the day's remaining profits to a different local charity. On January 14, Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the beneficiary, so don't miss out on good food for a great cause!

Celebrate Marlow’s Tavern-Emory Point Grand Opening

We can’t wait to celebrate the opening of the newest location of Marlow's Tavern, at Emory Point in Decatur. They’re hosting seven days of grand opening dining deals and special events beginning Monday, January 21. Open since December 18, the neighborhood tavern is eager to welcome its Emory-area friends with grand opening festivities. From January 21-27, guests who sign up for Marlow's Tavern Insiders Club (online or at the restaurant) will automatically be registered to win free dinner every week for a year.  Here’s the breakdown:

January 21: Insider Day
All Marlow's Tavern Insiders will receive 20 percent off their checks, and the first 100 guests will receive free t-shirts.

January 22: Tavern Burger Tuesday
Marlow's is offering its famous Tavern Burger seasoned with tomato bacon jam for $5 all day long.

January 23: Ladies Night,
From 5 p.m. until close $5 appetizers and drink deals for the gals and goodie bags for the first 100 ladies will be offered.

January 24: Emory Day
Emory faculty and students showing their Emory ID receive a 20 percent discount. The official ribbon-cutting ceremony is at 10 a.m. followed by a check presentation to Special Olympics Georgia at 11:30 a.m.

January 25: Friday Specials
From 4-6 p.m., Marlow's is offering $5 appetizer specials and drink specials including $3 drafts, $4 glasses of select wines and $4 premium well cocktails. Live music cranks at 9 p.m.

January 26: Shot Glass Saturday
The first 500 guests after 5 p.m. receive a complimentary M. shot glass, and live music starts at 10 p.m.

January 27: $7 Sunday
Brunch favorites await guests and include $7 selections such as crab cakes Benedict, Brooklyn "Egghead" sandwich and Marlow's famous stuffed French toast. Psst. BLT Bloody Marys and bottomless mimosas are $7 drink specials.

Looking for Emory Point? Find it at 1627 Clifton Road in Decatur; 404-343-3283.

Time to Revisit Gilbert's Cafe & Bar

"New year, new you" is such the January expression, but in the case of Gilbert's Café & Bar in Midtown, it's true for 2013. The Communitas Hospitality restaurant has been an Atlanta fave since opening in 2000. Even so, Communitas Owners Sean and Gilbert Yeremyan are always open to ways to better serve their guests. The two gents have brought in Executive Chef Brett Ring, also chef at HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern and 10th & Piedmont, to update and broaden the Mediterranean-focused menu for a full night-on-the-town dining experience. New meze items for sharing include diver scallops with haricot vert, crisp applewood smoked bacon, caramelized onion and citrus champagne; lemon avocado hummus with black sesame and smoked coconut; skate wing with artichoke, capers and lemon brown butter; and lamb shank börek with spinach and feta ($8-$12). For seafood lovers, Ring has seafood paella with mussels, shrimp, calamari, chicken, peas and haricot vert ($16 for one person; $30 for two) and almond-crusted tilapia with sautéed spinach and Parmesan risotto ($14). Other entrées include bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin with spinach ginger risotto and sweet Thai chili jus ($16); lamb shank with chickpea polenta, cherry tomato confit, Swiss chard and corn bread gremolata ($18); and the popular chicken kebab now composed of dark meat on a large skewer for a more exciting presentation. Ring, a Georgia native, nods to his Southern heritage through seasonally inspired plates and smoked foods such as smoked coconut atop lemon avocado hummus.

Check Out a New Year of New Restaurants, Menus, Demos and More

Start the new year off right by trying something new! Stop by Gilbert's Cafe & Bar to taste a bite from the revamped menu, or be inspired by Brian Stanger, Woodfire Grill's bar manager, and concoct your own season-appropriate grapefruit cocktail. There are plenty of new things to experience and more in this week's Dish!

Gerry Klaskala and All-Clad Cookware Teach How to "Cook Like a Professional" at AmericasMart

 

A big draw downtown this week is The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market, January 9-16 at AmericasMart. While retail store buyers seek new finds and plan their inventories, they will also find informative talks and demonstrations led by industry experts. Aria Chef/Owner Gerry Klaskala is one of these experts, and will link up with All-Clad cookware, for a demo on Thursday, January 10 from 1-2 p.m. Award-winning Klaskala will focus on how to "Cook Like a Professional", teaching techniques of searing, braising and deglazing. Home cooks can perfect their skills using the same All-Clad cookware found in four-star restaurant kitchens around the world. Time to get cooking! 

Appetizing Aperture: RA Sushi's New Skinny Pairing

Trying to get back into those skinny jeans after all that holiday indulging? We can relate! Good thing RA Sushi Bar Restaurant's new tempting Skinny Pairing is around. 

This hitokuchi sashimi and shrimp plate lines up 14 bite-sized pieces of fresh tuna, yellowtail and salmon sashimi plus shrimp and microgreens -- and is less than 200 calories. Pair it with your choice of three under-160-calorie cocktails -- the Colada-teenie, Blueberry Fizz and Skinny Cucumberita. A complete 360 calories for $18, through February 28!

$1 Ribs at Buckhead Barbecue Company on Jan. 7 & 8 Won't Break the Piggy Bank

 

 As many of us are trying to curb spending habits after the holidays, taking advantage of restaurant deals and specials is always a good idea. Luckily, Buckhead Barbecue Co in Smyrna is making your dollar go even further by offering single spare ribs and baby back ribs for $1 each on Monday, January 7 and Tuesday, January 8 starting at 5 p.m. The offer is valid for dine-in only with a six rib limit per guest. To round out the meal, try a cup of Brunswick stew, mac 'n three cheese or sweet potato tots ($2.50 each). 

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

So you say you like baking? Well then, we have the tweep (@Bakerella) for all your dessert and decorating needs. You can find posts about cake pops, fondants, sugar cookies and other divinities conjured up from sugar, butter, flour and flavorings. Also, visit the sister website Bakerella for more details to achieve a blissful sugar coma.

Sample Tweet: Love the cake pop necklace. Thank you Adonia! http://instagr.am/p/TRi_zep_Xt/

Eat Better. Do Good. Two resolutions in one.

Did you resolve to eat better in 2013? And maybe be a little more generous? Well, here's your chance to do both. Come to  "Dine Out & Give Back" at Bantam + Biddy's charity night on Monday, January 7. After 5 p.m. that night, 10 percent of their proceeds will go to Georgia Organics. The casual eatery in Ansley Mall is adamant that regionally raised, all-natural pastured poultry has a place on the family table. Try favorites like a quarter or half of a rotisserie chicken with two sides and jalapeño cheddar bread, pastured chicken sausage and loaded mashed potatoes, fried chicken tenders with wasabi honey, Lance's chicken pot pie, Southern breakfast all day, fresh vegetable plate, pork schnitzel or meatloaf made with grass-fed beef. Tell your friends!