#Foodgram: Wake Up and Smell the Coffee

Coloring books are all the rage to center, focus and regain calm after a stressful day. For caffeinated artistry, connect the dots and visit Baristart where celebrity coffee artist Michael Breach shows off his steady-handed “coffee art.” Breach has dabbled on “Good Morning America,” “Today,” “Rachael Ray,” Food Network, “Nightline” and more. Wake up and smell the coffee because these masterpieces are too good looking to sip. See more “cuppa Joe” art at www.baristart.com.

Salute Independence Day over the July 4 Holiday Weekend at Atlanta-Area Restaurants

Have your picnic, but eat out, too – and sport that new star-spangled top and sunglasses! Atlanta restaurants are fired up for the holiday weekend and stoked with celebrations, barbecues, bands, spirited beverages and all-American food faves – from our shores and beyond.

Get red, white and bluesin’ at Bellina Alimentari. The Ponce City Market favorite hosts a live music series the first Sunday of each month from 4-7 p.m. and that means loads of food, libations and tunes on July 3.

Oh say, you must see the Fourth of July BBQ blowout occurring when Terminus City takes command of Communion, the beer garden-inspired backyard behind Revival, Kevin Gillespie’s family-style restaurant in Decatur. The all-ages event packs in barbecue, beer, family-friendly entertainment and games (darts, cornhole, horseshoes) plus live music by Dave Lockwood on Monday, July 4 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Purchase food, drinks and play games using tokens, $5 each, with prices ranging from one to four tokens (tax and gratuity included). Gillespie's Terminus City will offer a chopped whole hog barbecue sandwich plate with Brunswick stew, potato salad, coleslaw and fried pie, purchasable for four tokens (tax and gratuity included). Drinks and cold beer hit the spot. Mingle around communal picnic tables and on the front and side porches of Revival (the restaurant itself will be closed). All proceeds from the day benefit Emory Healthcare Veterans Program, which helps post-9/11 veterans.

Gypsy Kitchen, in The Shops Buckhead Atlanta, puts a Spanish spin on the holiday weekend. “Basque in the Sun” begins at 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 3 and features paella on the open-air patio along with drink specials such as $4 tinto de verano, $5 rosé and half-off select bottles of wine. A flamenco guitarist and a DJ set toes tapping.

Newly opened 5Church in Midtown hosts a Whole Hog Roast on July 4. The celebration takes place during the Peachtree Road Race from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Guests will partake in a whole hog roast and beers from SweetWater Brewing Company while enjoying music outside along the sidewalk and on the rooftop patio. 5ChurchAtlanta.com

HOBNOB is open for regular business hours and serving its popular brunch menu Saturday, July 2 through Monday, July 4. Also on Monday, $17 bottomless mimosas and the neighborhood tavern’s Monday Date Night special -- a three-course dinner for two for $22.95. Post Peachtree takers?

A pre-Independence Day bash at Johnny’s Hideawayjumpstarts the revelry on Sunday, July 3. Food and drink specials fuel the celebration, and live music from Band X beginning at 8:30 p.m. and DJ Spin keep the party on pace into the late-night hours. Johnny’s will be open and ready to keep the party going on Monday, July 4.

Hooray for the Red, White and Brew Burger at Marlow’s Tavern, a patriotic palate pleaser offered Saturday, July 2 through Monday, July 4 at all Marlow’s locations. The $12.50 burger tops a perfectly seasoned beef patty with blue cheese, seared red peppers, caramelized onion and crisp romaine on a sesame bun for a flavor explosion.

From 11 a.m.-9 p.m. on July 4, three of Ray’s Restaurantsare offering a sea-to-shining-sea special surf and turf prix fixe menu for lunch and dinner. The two-course meal includes a choice of salad, six-ounce filet mignon, four-ounce lobster tail and Yukon Gold whipped potatoes for $24.95. Available at Ray’s on the River, Ray’s at Killer Creek andRay’s in the City.

The Southern Gentleman is serving its creative take on contemporary Southern cuisine for brunch on Sunday, July 3. For sparkle, add the $5 mimosa special or a $10 seasonal mimosa that includes seasonal fruit, orange juice and Champagne.

Love That Southern Summer Harvest with Matthew Ridgway at Morningside Farmers Market on July 2

Atlanta, NYC, Philadelphia, Paris, Morningside Farmers Market. Matthew Ridgway has cheffed in all these places. The verdict for the executive chef of Southern Proper Hospitality’s Gypsy Kitchen and The Southern Gentleman?  “I love the people and the ingredients in the South, as well as the longer growing season,” confides Ridgway. Agree! His enthusiasm, along with loads of farm-fresh produce, is ripe for the picking at Saturday’s Morningside Farmers Market. Stop by and gather ideas at his chef demo, 9 a.m.-ish on July 2.

Appetizing Aperture: $5 Mimosas for Sunday Brunch at The Southern Gentleman

Have you seen the feathery pink flowers blooming on mimosa trees around town? One variety in particular outshines the rest -- the Sunday $5 mimosa special blooming during Sunday Brunch at The Southern Gentleman gastropub in The Shops Buckhead Atlanta. Reconnaissance reveals a bodacious sibling of orange juice and Champagne that’s well endowed with seasonal fruits ($10 each).

New 101 Steak Carves Top-Notch Steak and Seafood Niche in Vinings

Simple name, simply wonderful dining experience. In Vinings, 101 Steak is the first place to go to seek out high-quality steaks cut from Prime beef, seafood, a raw bar experience and a selection of more than 100 wines by the glass. The newest restaurant from 101 Concepts (Food 101, Meehan’s Public House and Cibo e Beve) is now open, and owners Steve Buero, Chris Segal and Phil Roness are excited to be a part of the Vinings community. Helming the 101 Steak kitchen is chef/partner Joe Ahn, whose double decades in Atlanta’s culinary scene have won followers at some of the city’s top restaurants. His seasonal menu showcases a multitude of global influences from Asia to Italy to our own Southern food scape -- crispy seafood misto, house-made burrata and heirloom tomatoes with kale pesto and a Big Green Egg-smoked pork chop served with pimento mac-n-cheese, collards and Coca-Cola gastrique. More examples of appetizers, raw bar items, steaks, chops and specialties on the menu include:

• Selection of East and West Coast oysters, sour orange cocktail, pickled ginger mignonette
• Parmesan-crusted roasted marrow bones, onion marmalade, fresh sage, artisan bread
• Caribbean seafood cocktail tossed with diced tomato, red onion, cilantro, avocado, blue corn tortilla and fried plantains
• 32-ounce tomahawk chop – 50-day dry-aged Prime
• Spicy “frutti de mare” with Maine lobster, Georgia shrimp, clams, Spanish octopus and squid ink linguine
• 101 wagyu beef burger, Gruyère, thick smoked bacon, house-made pickles, onion jam and fries

A copper-top raw bar shows off the daily catch of fresh seafood. Beyond the menu, 101 Steak pours a strong beverage program of craft cocktails and beers and a carefully curated list of wines, including 50 properly stored reserve selections by the glass. Wine sippers will appreciate the wine pairing guide with two price points for each dish. Seating options spread from the main dining room, bar and lounge areas to the outdoor patio and multiple private dining rooms.

Terminus BBQ Pops Up at Peachtree Road Farmers Market June 29

Satisfy your midweek veggie fix at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market and grab some mouthwatering pork barbecue amid the cukes, beans and tomatoes. Terminus City, the smokin’ good barbecue arm of chef Kevin Gillespie’s Red Beard Restaurants family (Gunshow, Revival), pops up for dinner at the Wednesday, June 29 market at The Cathedral of St. Philip. Addicting pork barbecue sandwiches, $6 each, stave off suppertime hunger pangs so you can shop the market without listening to a growling stomach. Beers from Three Taverns Brewery will be available to wash down the ‘cue. Think forward toward Thursday’s dinner and purchase barbecue to go, priced at $16 a pound. Awesome solo, sauced on a bun or scooped on a salad. Sooey! Wednesday night market hours are 4:30-8 p.m.

Appetizing Aperture:HOBNOB's Sampler Platter

Reach for chicken tenders, fish and chips, warm pretzels with beer cheese dip, fried green tomatoes, Southern spring rolls and a sampler of house-made sauces. Meant for sharing, the Sampler Platter ($29.95) at HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern satisfies Midtown’s “In” crowd…those in a group looking for an easy way to order a crowd-pleasing platter for the table and those indecisive guests eager to try some of HOBNOB’s popular appetizers…but agonizing over which ones to order. Are you in? Drop in and order a platter today.

Chris Hadermann of Southern Proper Hospitality Named “Man of the Year” by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Chris Hadermann of Southern Proper Hospitality was named Atlanta’s “Man of the Year” by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) at a gala at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta on June 11. Hadermann, a founding partner of the Atlanta-based restaurant group, raised $191,595 during the LLS Man & Woman of the Year fundraising competition. Monies raised in the competition go toward the LLS mission of eradicating leukemia, lymphoma and other life-threatening blood cancers. Hadermann competed in honor of his grandfather, who lost his life to leukemia, as well as local blood cancer survivors Emory and Norah, LLS’s Boy & Girl of the Year. Southern Proper Hospitality restaurants pitched in to Hadermann’s fundraising efforts in a number of creative ways. Gypsy Kitchen, The Southern Gentleman, Smokebelly BBQ, The Big Ketch, The Blind Pig Parlour Bar and Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails staged special cocktail promotions, donating $1 to LLS for every drink sold -- matched dollar for dollar by Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Other efforts included a Great Gatsby-themed dinner and party at The Blind Pig; a garden dinner hosted by Milton’s; a golf tournament at the Polo Golf & Country Club; and a “Sip & Savor” fundraiser at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta. Hadermann also raised funds via his Facebook page and his personal MWOY page. He is now competing for LLS Man of the Year, which the winner will be announced in July.

Picnic Basket Alert: Bellina Alimentari Salumeria Sells Antipasti, Salads and Local Meats and Cheeses by the Pound

Let Bellina Alimentari pound out your plans for outdoor concert supping, a romantic picnic in the park or an authentic Italian aperitivo on your patio. The salumeria section of The Market in this Ponce City Market Italian mainstay houses a huge selection of local meats and cheeses in addition to a mouthwatering variety of house-made salads and antipasti. Cheese offerings include Pecorino Toscano, Pecorino Romano, Parmesan Reggiano, Fontina, Taleggio, Decimal Place Farm goat feta, Rivertown sheep milk cheese and Garretts Ferry crotin-style cheeses from Many Fold Farm plus Sweet Grass Dairy Asher Blue and Thomasville tomme ($10-$24 per pound). Build a charcuterie platter from Buckhead Beef prosciutto di Parma; Spotted Trotter sweet hot Italian sausage, finocchiona and nduja; rolled pancetta Americana; cured and sliced Blackberry Farms guanciale, bresaola; coppa; pepperoni; and tuna confit ($11-$32 per pound). No Italian spread is complete without antipasti or salads. Pick up house-made bean, farro, peach or quinoa salads, pasta misto insalata or arrange an antipasti of olives, artichokes, giardiniera, agrodolce onions or roasted peppers ($10-$13). Add some fresh bread and you’re all set. Shop Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m.–8 p.m. Call 404-330-9933 for more information.

Kevin Gillespie Teaches “Pure Pork Awesomeness” at Salud! in Whole Foods Avalon June 27

Celebrated chef Kevin Gillespie of Gunshow, Revival,Communion and Terminus City trots over to Whole Foods Market - Avalon in Alpharetta on Monday, June 27, for an evening of “Pure Pork Awesomeness.” The red-bearded Atlanta native will share his fiery passion for pork at a 7-9 p.m. class and book signing at Salud! Cooking School. Learn how to select, prepare and fork into pork in new recipes. Keep that fork handy to sample the “Pure Pork Awesomeness” class tasting menu: curried pork samosas, Korean barbecued bulgogi, grilled pork tenderloin with Spanish-style garlic shrimp and banoffee trifle with candied bacon. Tickets to the exclusive evening are priced at $75 each and include one signed copy of Gillespie’s cookbook. Register here and now.

“Burgers & Brews” Stars, Grilling Contest Wins Stripes (and a Big Green Egg) at Marlow’s Tavern

Salute summer at Marlow’s Tavern’s “Burgers & Brews” celebration, going on through August 1. Chomp into Marlow’s signature gourmet burgers, chill over craft beers and vie to win a coveted Big Green Egg (BGE) or Marlow’s gift cards.

Grill thrill seekers, share that recipe (the one friends rave about) in the seventh annual Marlow’s Tavern Grilling Recipe Contest for a chance to win a BGE, a $200 Marlow’s Tavern gift card or a $100 gift card. Can’t win if you don’t try; submit at www.marlowstavern.com through July 31. No purchase necessary; one entry per person or email address. Marlow’s Tavern co-founder and executive chef John C. Metz will judge all recipes and announce winners on September 10 with a taste-testing party at the Dunwoody location.

Contemplate your recipe while relishing signature gourmet, all-natural and perfectly seasoned burgers on Marlow’s “Burgers & Brews” menu. Suggestions include the Classic Burger Dip, piling on thinly sliced prime rib, Swiss cheese, caramelized onions, romaine lettuce and a Roma tomato or the bruiser of a Black & Blue Burger sporting creamy Gorgonzola and Applewood-smoked bacon. Bypassing beef? Opt for the Naked Chicken Burger of all-natural Joyce Farms ground chicken, mozzarella, provolone, baby arugula, Roma tomato and red onion. Look for rotating burger du jour specials such as the “Chicken Fried” Steak Burger, the Colorado Lamb Burger or the wagyu beef Royale with Cheese Burger. Other specials include Beer & Cheese Soup; Red Devils house-made deviled eggs with spicy horseradish, fresh herbs, Dijonnaise and toasty Parmesan; and Loaded Burbank (potato) “Skins.” Celebratory craft beers abound to buddy up with burgers: Oskar Blues Pinner Throwback IPA, Sierra Nevada Otra Vez, Eventide Kölsch Ale, Wild Heaven Emergency Drinking Beer, Red Hare Radler SPF and Westbrook One Claw Rye.

While at Marlow’s, prep to enter the Big Burger Bite Contest by snapping a picture of yourself biting into a Marlow’s burger then posting it to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #MarlowsBurgerBite. A $100 gift card awaits the media-savvy winner so snap to it.  

Mixing It Up -- Seed, Drift and Stem Wine Bar Co-Host Haus Alpenz Cocktail Dinner June 27

Go rogue. Do something different. Instead of wine or beer dinner pairings, try cocktails and cuisine. Seed Kitchen & Bar and Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar are doing just that, coming together at Stem Wine Bar to host a five-course dinner showcasing Haus Alpenz spirits on Monday, June 27. Doug Turbush, owner/chef of the restaurant trio, and beverage managers/mixologists David Peek (Seed) and Jose Pereiro (Drift) turn out an incredible menu. Think Arctic char sashimi paired with a cocktail of Cocchi Americano, house-made ginger-lemon syrup and lemon juice and pineapple soy-glazed pork belly with a mix of Smith & Cross rum, Kronan Swedish Punsch, Taylor’s Velvet Falernum, St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, orgeat and lime. Pouring out some high-proof knowledge at the dinner are special guests Nicole Ciani, Southeast sales director of Haus Alpenz, and Tristan Andersen of Quality Wine & Spirits. Space is limited for the 6:30-9:30 p.m. event. Guests must buy tickets in advance, $99 per person (includes tax and gratuity).

#Foodgram: Zoodles!

Take Inspiralized for a spin and add healthy new twists to the menu, such as zucchini noodles with creamy avocado-lime-cilantro dressing. For more action, turn, turn, turn to #EverydayInspiralized cooking video series.

Milton’s Whole Hog Hootenanny Raises BBQ Ruckus June 26

Call Milton’s Cuisine & Cocktails Crabapple’s hootenanny headquarters on Sunday, June 26. More than a pig roast, Milton’s Whole Hog Hootenanny tickles taste buds with barbecued ribs, smoked chicken and pulled pork aplenty. Even though temptation begs you to mound the plate with pulled pork, ribs, smoked chicken, sides, sweet treats and the likes, you can always come back for more at this all-you-can-eat affair. Slake bone-sucking thirsts with beverages from the cash bar. Games and live music inspire toe tapping, hand clapping and even some jigs outside on Milton’s lovely patio and front lawn. Buy tickets online, $35 per person plus service fee. Keep hooting and hollering because Whole Hog Hootenanny returns July 31, August 28 and September 25. Finger lickin’ fun? You betcha BBQ!

Slather on the Sunscreen for The Big Ketch Canton Street Southern Ketch Soirée June 25

Take time to coast this Saturday, June 25, and dive into backyard fun and games on the front lawn at The Big Ketch Canton Street’s Southern Ketch Soirée from 2-4 p.m. Feast on oysters and chef Derek Dollar’s low country seafood boil brimming with shrimp, crawfish, andouille sausage, corn and potatoes. Purchase Tiki cocktails or $5 mojitos and margaritas for icy-cold refreshment. Lawn games? Check. Live music? Check. Low country seafood boil tickets? Catch them right here, $39.95 (plus $3.19 service fee).

What’s New on Pinterest: June is National Candy Month!

Sweet! June is National Candy Month! Candy Land champs that we are, we’re finding ways to sneak candy into all kinds of Candy Creations. Milky Way brownie bites, chocolate peanut butter Kit Kat crunch bars, German chocolate brownie cookies and mint chocolate candy bark reach out to chocoholics. Clever grill cupcakes, candy sushi, cotton candy fudge and cupcakes are sugar-coated spoofs on the real thing. DIY cupcakes in plastic wine glasses and s’more pops are good to go. “Sour Patch” grapes count as a quasi-fruit, right?

5Church Opens at 14th and Peachtree in Midtown June 24

5Church, a modern American restaurant, opens its doors Friday, June 24, at the corner of 14th and Peachtree streets. 5Church will welcome guests daily with genuine hospitality, a technique-driven dinner menu and cutting-edge design. What to do with the car at one of Atlanta’s busiest intersections? No worries, thanks to complimentary valet parking and an expansive self-parking deck. This is the third location for restaurateurs Patrick Whalen, Ayman Kamel, Alejandro Torio and chef Jamie Lynch, whose other 5Church restaurants include the flagship location at the corner of 5^th and Church Street in Charlotte, North Carolina, and another in Charleston, South Carolina.

Lynch, also a partner in 5Church, and James Beard Award-winning executive chef RJ Cooper have collaborated to craft a menu inclusive of 5Church favorites along with locally sourced items Atlantans are sure to love. Dishes exclusive to the Atlanta menu include:
 

• Slow-cooked white sea bass, grilled asparagus, marinated cucumber, preserved lemon, asparagus water, cold pressed olive oil
• Pan-seared scallops, crispy confit potato, melted leeks, cipollini onion, lemongrass-tomato coulis
• Confit duck breast, potato latke, marinated heirloom tomato, black olive tapenade, charred romaine, soft-boiled duck egg, Dijon-sherry duck jus
• Pan-roasted grouper, summer bean fricassee, American caviar, garlic anchovy “milk”
• Braised rabbit agnolotti, roasted baby carrots, English pea purée, braising jus

A 200-bottle wine list, specialty cocktails and craft beers complement the dinner menu and encourage guests to linger at impressive white concrete bars or enjoy a drink on the sidewalk and rooftop patios.

Managing partner Ayman Kamel says 5Church in Atlanta and its Carolina siblings share traits of delivering personal attention and a great dining experience. Even so, guests dining at the new Midtown location will see Atlanta’s unique personality the moment they enter, evident in large-scale artwork inspired by Atlanta and created by local artists, a hand-painted ceiling, eye-catching neo-Victorian décor and exquisite culinary presentations from Lynch and Cooper. 5Church is located at Colony Square, 1197 Peachtree Street NE. Enjoy dinner now; lunch and weekend brunch service will follow at a later date. Make reservations via OpenTable. For updates, follow the restaurant on Instagram, Facebook andTwitter. For additional information, call 404-400-3669.

Save the Date for 18th Annual Marlow’s Tavern Golf Classic Benefitting Special Olympics Georgia September 19

Nothing like planning ahead, especially when saving the date for a superlative cause. Golfers, flag your calendars, dedicating Monday, September 19, 2016 to a day out on the greens to raise dollars for Special Olympics Georgia. Warm up those drivers and putters for the 18th annual Marlow’s Tavern Golf Classic, teeing off at 8:30 a.m. at the Country Club of Roswell. Competitions, contests on the greens, prizes and the “best of the best” in American tavern fare fill the day bogeying into an after party at Aqua blue for the awards dinner and silent auction. Marlow’s Tavern, Sterling Spoon Culinary Management and Aqua blue have raised more than $600,000 for Special Olympics Georgia since 1999, and the group hopes this tournament will top their new goal of $750,000. Help make that happen.

To sign up, contact Susan Skolnick, 770-414-9390 x111 or Susan.Skolnick@specialolympicsga.org.

Melissa Libby & Associates is Searching for Fall 2016 Interns!

Are you a student who is passionate about food/wine culture and public relations? We want to meet you! Melissa Libby & Associates is currently seeking interns for the fall 2016 semester. Interns who join the MLA team will work with and learn directly from all agency functions, including media communications, social media, special events and client services. Creativity, positive energy, great writing skills and a strong work ethic are important traits for this internship.

Internships require 15-22 office hours per week from August to December. Schedules are fairly flexible, although Monday mornings from 10:30-11:30 a.m. are required. Local candidates only! The ideal candidate will also receive school credit for his or her experience with MLA. Interns will be paid a $500 stipend at the completion of the program. To find out more about Melissa Libby & Associates, please visit our website and our Facebook page. If you are interested, please send your resume, cover letter, writing samples and availability to brandon@melissalibbypr.com. We're looking forward to hearing from you!

#Foodgram: Crowdsourced Recipes of Instagram

Julie Resnick curates The Feed Feed, a crowdsourced recipe web bank fed by an Instagram community of cooks who share recipes by hashtagging them #feedfeed. If that sounds right up your hashtag alley, hashtag have at it. Or, troll for ideas and inspirations such as chocolate peanut butter pretzel ice cream or a patriotic flag sheet cake sporting lemon chiffon meringue stars. Watch out! One could easily hashtag the day away hopping from recipe to story to video on FeedFeed Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and website feeds.