March 2011 Issue

March 2011 Issue

TASTES, TRENDS & FLAVORS

Restaurant weeks, Mardi Gras and St. Paddy's celebrations

Atlantans can enjoy Buckhead’s best cuisine at exceptional prices during the upcoming Buckhead Restaurant Week beginning Saturday, running through Sunday, March 6, 2011. The nine-day promotion will showcase the cuisine of the area’s best restaurants. Each will offer a prix-fixe, three-course menu consisting of an appetizer, main course and dessert for $25 per person (excluding alcohol, tax and gratuity). The second annual event will fuse international and local flavors, ingredients and cooking styles into one event as the neighborhood’s best chefs create menus that highlight their unique culinary styles. A complete list of participating restaurants and their menus will soon be available online at www.brwatlanta.com.... Inman Park, located two miles east of Downtown Atlanta,  will also be highlighting its restaurants when Inman Park Restaurant Week takes place March 28th through April 3rd. Offering three-course dinners, you will be able to dine at Fritti, Pure Taqueria, The Albert, North Highland Pub and Victory Sandwich Bar for $15.  Wisteria, Parish Food & Goods, Fritti, Park’s Edge, Rathbun’s, Sauced and Sotto Sotto will run you $25 and the three courses at Kevin Rathbun Steak will cost $35. The week will benefit Atlanta’s Open Hand project. Visit www.inmanparkrestaurantweek.com more details.

Congrats...

Collectively, the editors over at The Daily Meal recently came up with a master list of 150 places from every part of the country, then divided the choices into categories — according to cuisine, region, and a number of specific factors, including service, wine list, and price level — and assembled a ranked list of the ‘101 Best Restaurants.’  Making the cut are local favorites Quinones at Bacchanalia: “Consistently considered one of best restaurants in Atlanta, the dining room at Quinones, adjacent to the older and also acclaimed Bacchanalia, has only 11 tables. The menu, which changes daily, boasts a collection of dishes that mixes modern and classic Southern cuisine, with the results skillfully prepared.” And Restaurant Eugene: “Eugene pays homage to those who grow the local produce they use right on the menu. The list typically includes around two dozen farms, dairies, and even elementary school gardens, and pays tribute to the ingredients by altering them as little as possible while making everything in the kitchen from scratch. Named as one of Food and Wine’s Best Chefs of 2009, Linton Hopkins offers refined dishes, such as his wild mushroom tasting plate, that come from the ingenuously rustic roots he describes as ‘folkways meeting Escoffier.’”

Dining, Drinking Deals...

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar at Olde Perimeter Way in Dunwoody, renews its popular “5 for $6 ‘til 7” bar menu offering your choice of 5 cocktails, 5 wines by-the-glass and 5 appetizers, at $6 each til 7 p.m. Here’s a sampling of new additions: The 99 calorie Tickled Pink cocktail (blends Belvedere Vodka with orange juice and raspberries and a splash of Italian Mionetto Prosecco); Guinness Draught (a salute for St. Patrick’s Day); and Roasted Mushroom Ravioli (Portobello and shiitake mushrooms in a porcini butter sauce). Fleming’s will also be debuting a new patio on March 20th. Visit www.flemingssteakhouse.com or call 770.698.8112 for details... Ray’s at Killer Creek is offering its brunch and lunch menu items at half price on Sundays through April 10.  Take a look at some of your options:  House-made corned beef hash with poached eggs; Spanish pulled pork sandwich with fried egg and Vermont cheddar; mascarpone-stuffed French toast topped with fresh berries; shrimp and grits; jumbo lump crab cakes; and a salmon BLT.  Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at 1700 Mansell Road, Alpharetta; 770.649.0064... A month-long Mardi Gras celebration is underway at Goin’ Coastal on Virginia Avenue in Virginia Highland, with ‘Nawlins classics and cocktails served up every Thursday night in March such as the Ragin’ Cajun crawfish boil (2 lbs. of crawfish along with corn, potatoes and sausage), Buffalo gator tail platters for $5, a dozen fresh oysters for $10 and $4 Hurricanes... All seven Metro Atlanta Marlow’s Taverns are once again offering the six-week long “Bayou ‘n Bourbon” promotion through Monday, March 28. Served all day, every day, you will find roasted chicken & gumbo, crawfish fondue, N’awlins-style po’ boys, a Bayou burger, deconstructed jambalaya, pecan-crusted trout and sweet Bourbon Street ribeye ($6 - $25).  There are also five specialty cocktails offered ($4.75 - $9) as well as honey Bourbon bread pudding ($6) for dessert.  For Marlow’s locations, visit www.marlowstavern.com.

Mardi Gras happenings...

The Parish 3rd Annual Mardi Gras Celebration is planned for Satuday, March 5th from 11 a.m - 4 p.m.  Located on N. Highland Avenue in the Virginia Highland area, the $40 ticket price includes live music by Charlie Wooten & Zydefunk, all-you-can-eat crawfish, New Orleans sandwiches, a whole roasted pig, red beans & rice, house made king cake and all-you-can-drink Abita beer. Plus much more. For info, visit parishatl.com or call 404.681.4434... On Tuesday, March 8, Serpas True Food will bring Louisiana to Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward with their version of Mardi Gras Madness, offering festive food, drinks and décor. Executive Chef/Owner Scott Serpas will serve a menu of traditional favorites from his hometown of New Orleans for $10 each, including seafood gumbo, crawfish pie, red beans & rice, chicken & sausage jambalaya, king cake for dessert and $4 Hurricanes. Visit www.serpasrestaurant.com for details, 404.688.0040... Located in the 1010 Midtown building, on March 8th RA Sushi will also be celebrating Mardi Gras with decorations, food & drink specials, a costume contest and a live drag show performance by The Armorettes (7 - 9 p.m).  Throughout the evening, a DJ will be spinning a mix of rock and roll, hip hop and Top 40 tracks in the restaurant’s cocktail area.  Drink specials for Fat Tuesday will include $5 hur“RA”canes, $3 domestic beers and $2 hot sake.  Food specials include $5 Cajun wings and $8 voodoo sushi rolls. For more info, 404.267.0114 or www.RAsushi.com...  Mardi Gras weekend happens in Virginia Highland March 4th from 7 - 11:30 p.m. when Diesel, Limerick Junction, Dark Horse Tavern & Neighbor’s Pub host the Beads & Booze Bar Crawl. Trip starts at 7 p.m. at Diesel. Tickets includes a free drink at each bar, admission, food & drink specials plus 2 raffles.

St. Patty’s...

Fado Irish Pub & Restaurant on Buckhead Avenue in Buckhead, will begin the St. Patty’s celebration starting Thursday, March 10 with a Bushmills Whiskey Dinner (http://www.fadoirishpub.com/atlanta/whiskey-dinner) and culminating on Thursday, March 17 with a massive street festival offering up Guinness, 6 Nations Rugby, Soccer, Irish Whiskey, Traditional Irish Food, a Pub Quiz, Live Music and Traditional Irish Session (http://www.fadoirishpub.com/atlanta/events). They open the doors on Paddy’s Day, March 17th, at 7 a.m...  On Wednesday, March 17th, Rí Rá (located at 1080 Peachtree Street, Midtown) will make a grand tribute to its homeland by hosting a special Irish breakfast of eggs, Irish sausages and rashers, black and white puddings, grilled tomato and sautéed mushrooms available beginning at 6:30 a.m. Rí Rá will showcase a full week of festivities prior to St. Patrick’s Day beginning Thursday, March 10th. Visit www.rira.com for a complete list of the events... The St. Patty’s Day Irish party will be in full jig March 17th at TAP Gastropub Downtown.  Located at 1180 Peachtree Street, TAP celebrates with giveaways and Irish-themed food and drink specials ($5 - $8). Menu specials include green deviled eggs ($6) and an Irish Angus burger topped with shoestring potatoes ($13).For more info, visit tapat1180.com or call 404.347.2220... Murphy’s in Virginia Highland continues its 30-year St. Patty’s tradition with Irish entertainment and classic Irish fare including Finnen Haddie soup, Irish soda bread, lamb stew, corned beef with Kolcannon potatoes and Irish Whiskey bread pudding. For more, visit www.murphys-atlanta-restaurant.com or call 404.872.0904... On Saturday, March 12th from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m., the East Andrews entertainment complex and Stout Irish Pub host Buckhead’s largest outdoor St. Paturday Festival. Wear you green for the wild Irish celebration with a full bar, green beer, Irish bombs and Irish entertainment by Wesley Cook & Ocean Street. Tickets are $10 and www.stoutirishpub.com has more info... On Saturday, March 5th, Park Tavern (500 10th Street, NE) will host Shamrock Fest with Yacht Rock from 2 p.m. til midnight. The day of nonsense will include live music from Yacht Rock, DJ Madflip and 5,000 Irish acting Atlantans with a Bud Light buzz. Then, on Saturday March 12th, Park Tavern will also be home to Luckyfest 2011 from noon til late. There will be tons of green beer and live music. Call 404.355.6949 for more details.

News to chew on...

Uncle Julio’s Fine Mexican Food has just refreshed its menu. The new Plato Tampiqueno dish mixes mesquite grilled steak with guacamole, pico de gallo and a cheese & onion enchilada with red sauce served alongside rice and refried beans.  There are also new options on the margarita list including a new Patrón Classic Margarita made with Patrón Silver Tequila, Patrón Citronge Orange Liqueur and fresh-squeezed lime juice. There are two locations in Atlanta: 1860 Peachtree Road, 404.350.6767 and 1140 Hammond Drive, 678.736.8260.  For more info, visit www.unclejulios.com... Livingston Restaurant + Bar’s Executive Chef Zeb Stevenson is taking classic brunch dishes and adding his own tasty twist each Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Featured dishes include: Kabocha squash soup with coconut and winter spice oil; the BLT with house-cured bacon, tomato jam and smoked mayonnaise; a fried egg sandwich with smoked salmon; short rib hash with poached eggs and smoked hollandaise; and shrimp and grits with ancho chili and lime. Livingston is located in The Georgian Terrace Hotel at 659 Peachtree St. NE.  Call 404.897.1991 or visit www.livingstonatlanta.com for more info... Adding to his already thriving weekend burrito stand, Pura Vida’s Chef Hector Santiago is now serving up $2 portions of clove-battered French toast along with Mexican hot chocolate coffee mocha. You can top them off with such toppings as blackberry or chocolate jam, chopped chorizo or baby bananas.  You’ll find them across the street from Pura Vida on North Highland Avenue Saturdays beginning at 10:30 a.m., 404.870.9797.

Travelin’ with Kevin...

Food enthusiasts hungry for a new travel adventure have the opportunity to experience a taste of Austria.  Chef Kevin Gillespie, owner/chef at Woodfire Grill on Cheshire Bridge will explore culinary Vienna, its neighboring wine regions and Budapest from March 24 to March 31, 2011.  Travelers will have an array of dining experiences from Michelin-starred establishments to Vienna’s most authentic and traditional restaurants.   The trip also includes a cooking class in the Schoenbrunn Palace, visits to private wineries and a full day in Budapest. For more info, call 404.347.9055 or visit www.woodfiregrill.com.